Another Time
by PiratePrincess29
Summary: PostAWE- Jack is desperate to see Elizabeth again and sails on his little dinghy to Shipwreck Cove. And what he finds, nearly kills him. And it hurts more than anything Barbossa himself could have ever thrown at him. J/E... reviews are encouraged!
1. A Matter of Time

**A/N: I know, I know! I've got a bunch of stories going on at once but don't worry! I'm not abandoning any of them! I'll try my best to update at least 3 of them a week. That much I can do. But the more reviews I get, the more likely it is that I'll update! ****So, here's a different kind of story… let me know what you think. ****There's**** more chapters to come, so it's not a one-shot but… please be honest! I don't care if you hate it, please tell me! ****But… nicely.**** Thanks!**

**Dislaimer****: POTC belongs to Disney**

**Ch. 1**

There! It was her! Or it looked like her. There she is again! _Oh, but they all looked like her,_ he thought grimly.

No matter what Captain Jack Sparrow did… no matter how much rum was in his system or how many women he had around him… nothing, _nothing_ could make him forget her smile… her laughter… _her_.

He missed her so much. It scared him how much he missed her. And it had only been a few weeks since he last saw her. Since they said their goodbyes and he sailed away, leaving her on an island where she would live happily ever after. Or so it seemed.

Why had she acted so… indifferently when she left him? Did she not feel unhappy that they would probably never see each other again?? Or did she simply not show it… perhaps she chose not to show it because it would ruin what she had with Will. Will…

The whelp's name made Jack cringe as he ordered another round of rum for him and Gibbs who were still contemplating on how to get the Pearl back. Jack had gotten over Gibbs' stupidity but was still grieving over the loss of his ship. That truly pained him. But what pained him more was that he could not see her. And boy, did he want to see her… to feel her… to kiss her… until she yelled his name into the night. That was what _he_ wanted.

He was almost sure that it was what _she_ wanted too but a certain undead Captain stood in their way. Yes, William Turner (cough), _Captain_ Will Turner (that sounded more humorous every time he said it… captain just did not go with Will's name) stood in the way of freedom… their freedom.

After getting drunk and, once again, passing out in the streets of Tortuga, Jack woke up with a new attitude towards things. He figured that he still had his dinghy… and the charts, of course… and his trusty compass… which he knew would lead him to her. So who was Captain Will to stop him from going to Lizzie's little island and leading her to freedom?

It's not as though Will could do anything. He was miles away, oblivious of Jack's plans.

Yes, Will would not interfere this time. It was the opportune moment. Without waiting for Gibbs to get up, he ran to the docks, got into his dinghy, and set sail. Tortuga was not that far anyway. In a matter of days, maybe a week, he would be there. He would see her. He would see Elizabeth.

Elizabeth? The name sounded so strange to him. Perhaps it was because it was what the whelp called her. Yes, the whelp called her by her full name. Elizabeth wasn't Elizabeth. Lizzie was Elizabeth.

Elizabeth was Will's version of Lizzie, not Lizzie herself.

He wasn't making any sense but he didn't care. All he cared about was that he was on his way to see her. And that once he got there, he would tell her. He would tell her what he had wanted to tell her for the longest time: that he loved her. Boy, did he love her.

He loved her so much it hurt, physically.

It was as though he had to be near her to survive. It was an addiction.

Jack Sparrow could live without piracy…

he could live without the sea…

he could live without the Black Pearl…

he could even, daresay, live without… rum. But the one thing he could not live without… was Lizzie.

She was his rock. She was his constant. Everything he had ever had in his life was always taken away, somehow.

She was the best thing that had ever happened to him and he would not let her go. It was only a matter of time before he took her in his arms, kissed her, and told her that he loved her. It was only a matter of time.

A/N: Ok so what do ya think? I know it was kind of short but I want to know if you like it before I start devoting my time to it. I know there's no dialogue in this chapter but don't worry b/c that will change very, very soon.

PREVIEW OF CH. 2:

He looked down at the sand and saw black flowers scattered everywhere. Jack bent down and picked one up, smelling it. It smelled awful! It smelled like… death. And death was something that he was quite familiar with.

"Still mourning ol' Will, aren't ye, Luv." He muttered under his breath, feeling a tad bit jealous and… disappointed.

Then, much to his dismay, he noticed that the name carved into the stone in the center of all the black flowers wasn't Will's. It was another Turner…


	2. Graves and Stones, Luv

**A/N: First of all, thanks for all your GREAT reviews!**

**WARNING! **_**Some **_**Willabeth**** in here, but ONLY for the sake of reality, people! Don't give up on this story because, BELIEVE ME, I am 100 ****Sparrabeth****. And so is this story, just… not yet. In upcoming chapters, I promise that there will be plenty of J/E. ****Don't**** forget to review!**

**Disclaimer: POTC belongs to Disney**

Six days. That was how long it took him. He tried to coax as much wind as he could from the sails, even if it was only to reach her one minute sooner. Once Shipwreck Cove came into view, he saw her island. And that made the wait even more tortuous.

Finally, he was within a few feet from the shore. He stepped out of his dinghy and walked quickly inland. He looked left and right and saw no one. _She has to be here_, he thought.

She would not _just __leave_, this much he knew. He was positive that she would remain faithful. Everyone knew that. That was why he came _here_, and not straight to Shipwreck Cove.

He searched the entire brush of forest and looked up the hill, spotting a little cottage. He rushed up and looked through the window. All the furniture was covered up… and, worst of all, she was not in there. No one was. She wasn't even on the bloody island.

Where else could she have been? She was the Pirate King! _Someone_ had to know where she was. _Wait. What if something happened to her? Is she ok_

He thought it would be best to just leave. Just leave and go to Shipwreck Cove and… talk with his father. Surely, he would know where she was.

With all haste, he sailed his little dinghy to the Cove and stepped onto the beach. After re-adjusting his hat, he looked down at the sand and saw black flowers scattered everywhere. Jack bent down and picked one up, smelling it.

It smelled awful! It smelled like… death. And death was something that he was quite familiar with.

"Still mourning ol' Will, aren't ye, Luv." He muttered under his breath, feeling a tad bit jealous and… disappointed.

He kept walking towards the King's hall but the flowers didn't stop. _Damn it_, he thought. Lizzie must really be missing him! This was not the best way to mourn someone that you would not be seeing again for another, say, 9 and ¾ years?

In the middle of all the flowers lay a large stone. More than likely, it was in memory of Will. Or in honor of him.

Then, much to his dismay, he noticed that the name carved into the stone in the center of all the black flowers wasn't Will's. It was another Turner…

In fancy letters, the name 'King Elizabeth Turner I' was carved into the stone. Jack must have read it 100 times before he blinked.

He ran into the Court, not caring who he ran into, until he found his father. Everyone seemed to have a depressing look plastered on their faces. He just wanted to know what was going on. There was only one reason for black flowers… someone had died. And he would not, could not believe that it was her… it wouldn't be fair.

But then again, what was fair in his life? What had ever been fair for him? But it wasn't. It couldn't be. He found his father, Teague, who also had a solemn look on his face. He shot Jack a sympathetic smile, but it was hollow and did not reach his eyes. Jack's lower lip twitched and he spoke with utmost urgency.

"What's…happened?" he asked, emotion clear in his voice.

"Jackie… It wasn't… there was nothing we could do. Did you get the letter?" he asked hopefully.

"No. I lost the Pearl." He said, barely above a whisper.

"So you don't know. I don't know how to tell you, Jackie."

"What happened?"

"She died. She's gone, Jackie. I'm sorry…"

"Don't say it. Don't say she's never coming back."

"There's only one way for that to happen. You know that."

"How did it happen? Did she suffer?"

"She died with a smile on her face, Jackie. She said… she wanted you to be King."

"When?"

"Three days ago. She was ill. The doctors tried everything they could. She just wouldn't get better."

"Where is she?... Where?"

"Jackie, I don't think…"

"I don't care what you think! I want… I need to see her."

"She's in the sea, Jack. We thought it would be best for Captain Turner to take her to her peace."

"An' ye didn't even let me say goodbye?" he replied furiously.

"I'm sorry, Jack."

"No. This can't be. How… how could you not know that I loved her? Hm? That perhaps I would _want_ to see her again…"

"We thought she'd want to be with her husband. She's serve 100 years on the Dutchman, more than likely. She won't be dead-dead. Just… not alive."

"I need a ship."

"What?"

"I said… I need a bloody ship. I don't care who's… and a crew. I'll need a crew, too."

"What for, Jackie?"

"Why do you think? She came back for me, didn't she? I'm going after her. I'll bring her back even if it means dying in the process."

"It's probably too late."

"Don't say that either! It's not too late! I _will_ find her and I _will_ save her!" he yelled, slamming his hand on the door.

"I'll get you a ship, Lad. But I don't know what I can do about you're aching heart."

"Once she's back… things will be fine. I came to see her. And that's exactly what I'm going to do."

Jack left the room and slammed the door shut. He went to his room, as each Pirate Lord had their own room, but not before passing the King's quarters. He slowly walked in and breathed in the air.

The air that smelled like Lizzie. _Lizzie_. He realized that he hadn't spoken her name. Not since he had read it.

And he _wouldn't_ say it. Not until he found her.

After leaving her room, he retreated to his and went straight to bed although sleep did not come easily. He tossed and turned all night, thinking about her. And how awful it must've been for her. That night, he made a silent promise to her.

And somehow, he thought that maybe she heard it.

* * *

Meanwhile, Elizabeth tried to make sense of what was happening to her. She had a feeling she was dead, that much was certain. The last thing she remembered was Teague leaning over her, telling her that it would all be over soon.

And it was. A few moments later, she couldn't feel anything. And she wasn't sure she had wanted to feel anything.

Elizabeth was standing on a bridge surrounded by fog. There were many others in front of her and behind her. _So this is what the afterlife is like_, she thought.

While in this strange place, her thoughts wandered to Jack. Her last dying wish was that he'd take her place as Pirate King. After all, it was he who got her there in the first place. She had considered telling Teague to tell his son that she was very sorry about the whole Kraken issue but found it rather pointless. It was behind them and there was no reason to bring up the dust.

She wasn't scared of death, no. What she feared more was what she was leaving behind. At least while she was alive, there existed a chance, no matter how small it may have been, that it could work out between her and Jack.

But now, here in this eerie land, that chance had been crushed. She was so deep in thought that she didn't notice a very familiar ship pull up in front of the bridge and that people started boarding it. Only when someone behind her nudged her to go forward, was she shaken out of her reverie.

Eager to see what was going on, she marched quickly onto the ship.

Then she saw him. She saw her husband. She saw Will at the helm, proudly admiring his crew that was greeting all of the dead souls aboard.

Of course! She was dead and he would ferry her soul… what a terrible feeling to have to ferry your own wife's soul…

His eyes were peaceful, but they carried a bit of sadness. The sadness, a result of not being with his wife as he so desperately wanted. Then, he saw her. He let go of the helm and ran down the stairs to meet with her.

His expression changed from one of excitement to that of horror. She gave him a small, reassuring smile but he looked absolutely grief-stricken. After taking her hand in his, he looked her straight in the eyes.

"Elizabeth… what… what on Earth. Do you know where you are?"

"The Dutchman." She stated, matter-of-factly.

"Yes, but… you know what this means… Elizabeth… are you… you're dead."

"I thought I might be…"

Will's eyes started to water and he held her close. He held her to protect her. He held her to make sure this was real and it was.

"Elizabeth… no… you can't be dead! It wasn't supposed to end this way!"

"Will, it's alright. I… I'm at peace with this. It was startling at first but… I'm alright, really."

"No. No. _No, no, no_! How could this happen?! He was supposed to protect you!"

"He?"

"Jack! I told him… I told him to watch over you…" he said, barely above a whisper.

"There was nothing he could have done. I was ill… silly, really. I just… couldn't fight it."

"I will not ferry you, Elizabeth. Do you understand?"

"What do you mean? Where do I go? What's to become of me?" she asked him, frantically.

"Elizabeth, I'll find a way to save you, I promise. I have to. I love you, Elizabeth."

"I love you too, Will." She said, her eyes beginning to water.

"I'm going to…"

"But there's nothing you can do. I'm dead. There's no point in trying…"

"Yes, there is! Maybe… Maybe if I could get word to Jack… tell him to go to World's End to save you… I could ferry you and he could come to rescue you."

"Will… don't put him into this. He's out of our lives… your life…seeing as I don't have one anymore."

"Elizabeth, no! Don't you give up… we will find a way to fix this, I promise you."

"The crew." She said thoughtfully.

"What?"

"I could join the crew."

"Elizabeth, you're brilliant and beautiful and smart and wonderful… but… that can't work."

"Why not?" fear evident in her trembling voice.

"Because… I won't condemn you to that… it's far worse than death. I couldn't ask that of you."

"Oh… well then perhaps you should just let me go."

"I can't do that either. There has to be a way."

"Will… there isn't a way. Please. Just take me there with the rest."

He turned his back to her, his figure trembling slightly. She put a hand on his shoulder and made him face her. She gave him a long, passionate kiss and pulled back, to his dismay.

"You have to let me go…"

"Alright, Elizabeth… Go… with the others… I'll let you know when we arrive. But tonight… will you stay with me?"

"Of course! As long as you promise me one thing."

"Anything, My Love."

"You won't tell Jack."

"I can't promise you that."

"Please, Will. My last wish…"

"Alright… I promise."

"Thank you." She said, tearfully, and walked back to the other crowd of souls.

Just as Elizabeth sat down on one of the railings, she heard a voice inside her head. Jack's voice. He… was making her a promise. A promise that he'd save her. And, all of a sudden, she had a reason to believe that he would.


	3. A Treasure Worth Searching For

**A/N: ****Thanks for all the reviews!**

**Ok so Chapter 3 is up! But please let me know if ANY of the characters seem OOC… I'm really paranoid about that and I'd hate to take them out of character! ****Kind of short, but that's ok… enjoy! ****Thanks and please review!**

**Disclaimer: POTC belongs to Disney**

That night, Elizabeth did as she had agreed and spent some time with Will. He told her of his adventures and she listened, soaking up every last detail, trying to make the most out of the time she had left.

Then he told her how sad his job had been. How much he missed her and… utterly depressing it was to have to ferry souls… some of them never came to terms with their death… others begged to live again… and some… some just didn't care. She put her hand on his, smiling.

"This is your destiny, Will. And you make a fine captain. Like your father said, the ship has a purpose again. You're doing the right thing."

"We'll arrive tomorrow morning." He said solemnly.

"Yes… I see." She replied sadly.

"Elizabeth…"

"The heart is safe. I left in someone's charge and they'll guard it with their lives. I know they will."

"That's the farthest thing from my mind! How can you think… of me… when here you are. When all of this is happening to you."

"Will. It's alright. Believe me, it's ok."

A small smile tugged at his lips. Oh, how he loved his wife. And how he would miss her.

She stood by him at the helm all night until, finally, morning arrived. Will showed the others off the Dutchman and Elizabeth was the only one left.

"This is it, Elizabeth. I…"

"I know. I love you, too, Will."

She gave him a long hug and whispered into his ear:

"Don't forget your promise."

And with that, she started to step off of the ship when a giant wave came and swept her overboard.

The last thing she heard was Will calling her name, beckoning her to swim back up until everything went black.

Not more than a few moments later, she awoke in a desert-like place. A place that reminded her of where they had rescued Jack. And then it hit her. She was in the Locker! But… Will was captain now… the Locker should not exist…

And why was _she_ sent there?

"I told ye all I'd be getting my revenge on the lot of ye! Ye who bound me all those years ago." Calypso said in her strange, exotic accent.

Elizabeth turned around and dropped her jaw when she saw Tia Dal… Calypso… standing before her, with a fury in her eyes that could not be tamed.

"What? Calypso. What are _you_ doing here?"

"The last thing you will learn in this life is how cruel I can be. That is what I said I'd do! And now, I finally can."

"But… Jones is…"

"_Dead_? Yes, that be true. But ye forget that it was not Jones what created this place of punishment. T'was me, Lass. And I control it. And all those of the Court, when it be their time to pass, will not go to the next world… but be fated to stay _here_ for all eternity."

"But… Why? What did I ever do to you? I mean, I never…"

"Silence! You may not have done anything, Girl. But they did. And ye be a part of them, now. So ye are _just_ like them. Ye choose to side with them, then you shall be punished like them."

"But…"

"Goodbye, Elizabeth Swann."

"It's bloody Turner!" she shouted, much after Calypso's form had disappeared.

_So this was what Jack went through_… at least he had his ship… she had nothing… Nothing for miles and miles and miles… no sea, no coast… just… just nothing. And she knew right then and there that eternity was going to last a very long time.

* * *

Jack awoke feeling as though he had been run over by horses. He could barely remember where he was or why he got there, only that he had had a very bad dream. But then he remembered that it was not a dream and was, in fact, very real. He ran to his father's study and looked at his, quizzically.

"Do ye have a ship?"

"Aye, Boy, I do. Now what you think you're going to accomplish here, I've no idea. But ye've got a ship and a crew. They're waiting outside…"

Before Teague could even finish his sentence, Jack was already leaving the Court and heading towards the docks.

His running caused a few of the black flowers to scatter, but he didn't dare stop. Once he reached the docks, the crew was indeed waiting for him on a ship called _The White Roamer_. It was nothing like the Pearl but she could, no… _would_ make it to World's End. He eagerly boarded the ship.

"Alright, ye scurvy dogs! We'll be settin' sail immediately. We're going to the ends of the Earth…"

"And how do you plan to get there, Captain Sparrow?" shouted a crew member.

"Ye've forgotten one thing, mate. I am… Captain Jack Sparrow." He said, before retreating to the Captain's quarters.

He pulled out his trusty compass and informed the first mate, Sam, of the bearings. It would take them three days to get to the frozen sea, he figured. Hopefully, she would still be there.

* * *

Elizabeth walked and walked… and… walked. There really was nothing to do.

It was an endless sea of desert. There was no escaping. She felt completely hopeless. And then…

She started seeing herself… and more… more of herself. All around her. There were multiple Lizzie's surrounding her. She grew even more confused when they began to talk to her.

"Hello, Elizabeth."

"Um… hello… who are you?"

"I'm Elizabeth, of course!"

"Right… this is a dream. A very bad dream. A hallucination! Yes, Jack thought we were one when _we_ rescued him…. Before… right?"

"Stop rambling, it makes us sound stupid."

"Beg pardon?"

"You spoke of Jack… speak of him some more… we sure do love Jack."

"Yes, yes I do love him. Wait! What are you talking about? No! I… we… _I _love Will. I don't know about _you_ but I love Will Turner, my husband. Not Jack."

"Lizzie, we can call you Lizzie, can't we? Anyway… we're one in the same. If we love Jack, it must mean you love him too."

"Can you please go away? I'd rather be alone…"

"You are alone… just… with us! We really are just like you, we'll get along great."

"I never thought I'd say this but I am an annoying little…"

"Ah, ah, ah, there Lizzie. Watch your mouth. You may be a pirate but you are also a lady. _We_ are ladies. We won't have you bringing _us_ down."

Then, all of a sudden, they disappeared. All of the Elizabeth's were gone. She was happy yet sad at the same time.

_So this is what punishment is_, she thought.

"It sure is bloody tortuous!" she shouted, to no one but herself and the sinking horizon.

"Oh Jack… please hurry up… hurry up and save me from this misery…"

* * *

Those three days were the longest of his life. Time went by even more slowly than when he was in the Locker.

But, finally, they had reached the waterfall, gone over it, and were on the shore of the Locker. He looked around but did not see her… anywhere. He didn't see anyone… Pulling out his compass, he followed the red arrow only to find someone lying down on the floor, unconscious, no doubt having passed out due to the heat.

And that someone… was who he was looking for. It was _her_.

"Lizzie…?" he said, quietly.

She stirred a bit but did not awake.

"You… you promised…" she replied, barely audible, even in the silence that overtook the Locker.

She carefully opened her eyes and they lit up when she saw him looming over her.

"Jack!" she yelled, throwing her arms around him. He returned the favor, happily.

"Lizzie… I'm so… I can't believe… I… I love you." He blurted out, both regretting it and relishing it at the same time.

She pulled back from the embrace and looked at him skeptically. Then, her expression turned grim.

"It's all a dream. I must be delirious… you're… you're a hallucination. You're not real."

"Yes I am, Luv. This is real… I'm here."

"How do I know this is real?"

"What, you want me to prove it to ye, Darling?"

"No… not necessarily… I want… I want you to _persuade_ me."

"With pleasure, me love."

Without a single thought, he pulled her into the most ardent kiss of her life.

She struggled at first, trying to maintain her composure, but then she lost herself in the kiss and gave in to everything she had ever felt and everything she was now feeling. It was amazing… everything… how he felt, how he smelled…how he just _was_. Here. With her.

It astounded her.

Reluctantly pulling back, she looked into his brown-black eyes.

"Persuaded, Luv?"

"Very much so. I just have one question, Jack."

"Anything, Darling."

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why are you here?"

"To save ye." He said jubilantly.

"No. I mean… for me… why did you come? For what reason?"

"You came back for me… I came back for you. We're square."

"Not yet, we aren't. You said you love me. And… for the record, I love you too."

"Really? And when did ye come to that brilliant conclusion, Luv?"

"Being alone in seclusion has its advantages, Jack. One of them being having time to think things through. Really think over them. And… I thought over them and I love you, Jack."

"Ye've no idea how happy I am to hear that, Luv." He muttered into her hair.

"We should get out of here before Calypso comes."

"Calypso?" he asked confusedly.

"I'll tell you once we board the ship. Otherwise it'll be over for the both of us."

"I like the way ye think, Luv." He said, proudly.

Together, hand-in-hand, they boarded the ship and headed out to sea, to leave World's End behind.

**A/N: TBC, I promise! Updates come sooner with more reviews! Let me know what you thought of this chapter, I was kind of unsure while writing it. It doesn't seem to flow well to me but let me know if you think otherwise, if only to put my mind to rest! **


	4. Coming Home

**A/N: Here's chapter 4! R and R! ******

**Disclaimer: POTC belongs to Disney.**

Once they were on the ship, Elizabeth felt… home. She had been rescued.

Jack had rescued her. But he always kept his promises. Despite his piratical ways, he was quite the honest man.

And he loved her! Of course, she returned the favor. But the fact that he loved her warmed her up inside.

After sailing a bit offshore, Jack approached Elizabeth and put his hand on her arm. She smiled at him and knew it was time to explain… things.

Luckily, he started it off for her.

"So, Lizzie… what's all this about Calypso? Are we not done dealing with her, yet?" he asked, jokingly.

"No. We're not. World's End… the Locker, it belongs to her. Not Davy Jones. She created it. And she won't rest until all of the Brethren Court has been punished for binding her all those years ago."

"So… she killed ye? She brought on yer illness?"

"Well, wait… How did you know I was sick?"

"Just answer the question, Luv." He said, smirking at her evasiveness.

"If _you_ answer _mine_." She replied, stubbornly, crossing her arms in the process.

"Me father… Teague told me. He was worried about you. Your turn."

"No, Calypso didn't make me ill. But she _is_ out to get us. _All_ of us."

"Did ye speak with her?"

"Yes, in the Locker. She… was rather rude. I suppose the maelstrom wasn't enough for her to get revenge on us. Even though we didn't do anything to her, not really."

"So how did ye get sick?"

"You seem to care more about my health than you do about the Court. Interesting…"

"Luv, ye're more important than the Court. And besides… yer the Court's King… so ye have special privileges."

"In that case, I'm honored. Did Teague ever tell you _why_ I was ill?" she inquired, timidly.

"No, I suppose he left that for you to tell me."

"Well, I'm afraid I'm not going to."

"Lizzie… what was wrong with ye? He told me you didn't get better and then ye just… ye were just gone."

"You're quite shaken up about this, aren't you? Did my death really affect you this much?"

"Lizzie… ye have no idea. I was horrified when I saw yer name… I can't recall a time that I've felt so awful, so empty… so hopeless."

"Oh, Jack… if only you knew…"

"Knew what, Luv?"

"Nothing…"

"Tell me, how'd ye get sick?"

"I wasn't eating. I had no strength. I didn't eat, didn't take care of myself. Teague told me I was killing myself slowly but I didn't take it to heart. I just… didn't feel like I had any reason to fight to live."

"Elizabeth, why? Why would you just give up like that?"

"Because you left." She said, her voice trembling, shrugging her shoulders.

"Oh my, Lizzie. I love ye so much. Don't ye ever give up like that again… I don't know if I can survive another trip down that waterfall."

She smiled at him and took on a thoughtful look.

"We should leave. Turn the ship over and all. Calypso may take the opportunity to take revenge on both of us. Kill two birds with one stone."

"No need to worry, Luv, I'll get right on it. But do ye really think that she's any match for a Swann and a Sparrow?"

"No… but it's better to be safe than sorry. I just came back to life, I don't want to die again."

"Neither do I, want you to die, that is. Although, I wouldn't like to die again meself, ye know." He said, winking at her.

With that, he ordered the crew to rock the ship and, within minutes, the ship turned over and they were back to the land of the living.

Elizabeth took a deep breath, taking in the air, grateful to be alive and in love.

Jack came to her and put an arm around her possessively.

She smiled coyly at him wrapped her arms around his neck, planting a soft, passionate kiss on his lips.

"Where to now, Jack?" she asked with a sense of… _curiosity_ in her voice.

"Wherever we wish, Luv. I do, however, think we should go to Shipwreck Cove so you can reclaim yer throne. And so that they can all stop mourning."

"They were really mourning me?"

"Of course, Darling. They look up to you… they need you. You're their King. And you've always done right by them."

"You would have done just as good."

"I heard ye wanted me to take yer place… now come on, Dearie, did ye really think ye could get out of your duties that easily? Nay, Luv… not even death can make ye quit being King… ye deserve it."

"I won't be taking my life for granted anymore."

"Good. I don't want you to." He said seriously, before leaving her to give the crew their heading.

Elizabeth stood at the railing and watched the horizon, admiring the sunrise.

She felt giddy, partly because she was alive and partly because Jack was with her.

She was so happy to be back. To be alive. To be with _him_.

She now understood how Jack must have felt when he came back from the Locker. And she was the one who sent him there… who killed him. In a way, though, he killed her, too.

It was being away from him that emotionally and eventually, physically killed her. So now, they were square.

Her thoughts moved to Will. There was something strange about him, she thought. He just wasn't acting like his normal self. Perhaps… it was just the stressful life, or death, or the somewhere in between, of having to ferry souls to the next world.

After all, he was her friend and she understood the burden he… _her friend?!_ She scolded herself inwardly for calling Will _her friend_ when he was, in fact, her _husband_!

How could she have forgotten that? How could merely being in Jack's presence make her forget who she was and the promise she made to Will? To be faithful?

It frightened her at how the more she thought about it, the more she _wanted_ to forget.

She wanted to forget that she would have to wait ten years for him. She wanted to forget that she must remain faithful. But most of all, she wanted to forget that incessant beating noise that crept up on her every thought. At least, every thought that had anything, even remotely, to do with Will.

Sighing tiredly, she looked up at the helm only to find two black-brown orbs staring back at her. She smiled at his poised and peaceful posture. At how the light of the sunrise hit his perfectly tanned face, outlining everything that she loved about him.

_He really is a good man_, she thought. _But so is Will…_ a little voice in the back of her head whispered… _and he doesn't deserve to be betrayed._

But her mother had once told her that, sometimes, it's better to think with your heart than your mind because your heart knows more about what's best for you than your mind does. When she looked back, she remembered that she didn't die because of Will's absence but because of Jack's.

That was more than enough reason to stay with him. She literally _and_ figuratively could not live without him.

Jack came up behind her and embraced her, wrapping his arms around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder. She turned to him and grinned when he planted feather-light kisses on her neck.

"We'll be there in a couple of days. The wind seems to be on our side, so it won't take as long as it did for me to get here."

"That's good. I can't wait to see everyone again. I know it hasn't been long but…"

"But I'm sure they miss you like… like I missed you, but slightly less." He said, pouting slightly.

"I'm rather tired. Do you think I could take a nap?"

"Of course, Luv. We'll get ye a cabin… unless of course ye wanted to sleep in _my_ cabin."

"Well, I don't see why not."

Jack opened the door to his cabin and let her in, closing the door and locking it.

Before Elizabeth went to sleep, she decided to look around Jack's room.

It was actually quite well kept and neat, compared to the way it had been when Barbossa was Captain. She walked to his desk and amidst the maps and navigational charts, there was a book that looked like a journal. Curious, she picked it up and opened to a random page. It was dated the day that she had gone to find him in Tortuga to help rescue Will. It read:

_Bugger! Elizabeth Swann, or Miss Swann as she would certainly correct me, came to Tortuga to find me. At first, I thought perhaps for a different reason… Perhaps _

_she was leaving the whelp and decided that she needed, wanted a better man. That she wanted freedom. I never meant it when I said it wouldn't have worked out between us, it's just that if I had said what I was really thinking, I would have been shot on the spot. I never thought I'd be seeing the likes of her again. Much less in Tortuga. But alas, no. She's here for me to help her save the whelp but what she doesn't know, is that I've got that debt to pay and Will was my… insurance. She'll likely kill me when she finds out, figuratively of course. It's strange, having her aboard… I'm feeling something, resembling happiness, but I'm not quite sure what it is… I care for her, of course, but I don't love her. Maybe it's just lust. Maybe if she decides to seek safety in me arms and we have a good time, it'll be out of me system. It's possible… but definitely not probable._

Elizabeth laughed silently at the entry and skipped to the day he came back from the dead.

_She hasn't spoken to me. I wonder if she's scared I'll try and get revenge… I won't, but I should. But I can't. She doesn't know that, by killing me, she made me proud and I like her even more now. Me, Captain Jack Sparrow… in love? No. I feel for her, yes, but not love, no chance. She has the whelp… although I'm not quite sure that they're happy as they were before. Maybe he saw the kiss… Oh, that kiss. She made me die a happy man, she did. It could work out between us so well…tow pirates… two lovebirds. A Swann and a Sparrow. She really did come over to my side. And I do forgive her, but I won't tell her, no. She feels guilty. And I want to make it go away but I think if I go within arm's reach of her, dear William will have my head. And hers, as well, which would be a shame because it is such a pretty head… with such pretty lips… and those eyes… those golden eyes. Regardless, I still think it could have worked out between us. But we have more important things to worry about now. Like how bloody Hector's back. And the Brethren Court and Tia Dalma and Davy Jones and Beckett. And, of course, Elizabeth. And the bloody whelp. My little Lizzie… It's strange because I'm sure I don't love her, but I can't bring myself to hate her, either. There is something between us but it's different, I suppose. More than friendship, but less than love. Lust perhaps? No… I ruled that out long ago. Oh well, I must go… Barbossa's being his usual self and I have an incurable desire to shoot that monkey!_

Then, she flipped to the day he found out she had died.

_How could this have happened? I never got to tell her that I forgive her or how I feel about her. It was so awful. It hurt more than losing the Pearl! And William, damn the whelp, told me to protect her and I let her die. I wasn't there but it's still my fault. I have to save her. World's End is the last place I want to go but I have to. I have to save my Lizzie. I have to save her… I love her._

Elizabeth re-read the last line a couple of times before putting the book where she found it, careful not to make it look out of place. She smiled as she lay down in Jack's bed, under his covers, her head resting on his pillow. Now all that was missing was _him_. She scolded herself for having such inappropriate thoughts before she realized that now, propriety didn't matter. He loved her and she loved him.

And Will couldn't possibly expect her not to be with anyone. As long as she was there on the island in ten years, she would remain faithful. But he could not possibly believe that she would not go to anyone else. And who better than Jack? They loved each other and the admission of said love had been long overdue.

She slipped into a nice sleep in which Jack was the center of her dreams. And she didn't even stir when the ship shook or when the cannons were fired…

**A/N: Ahhh! Don't hate me! I couldn't help but add a cliffie! I don't usually do that but this chapter just begged for one. Ok so I know my updates haven't been weekly (again, sorry!!!) but school and other inconveniences have been getting in the way but I promise to be more devoted to sticking to updating. No, the other stories aren't abandoned it's just that when I get ideas for one story, I have to get them all out before I continue on with the other ones. So tell me what you think! And I know it's short but the next one is MUCH longer, I promise. Lots of action!**


	5. Aye

**A/N: So I felt like updating immediately, I can't seem to be able to wait! Here goes nothing! Well, hopefully something… Thanks so much for reviewing!**

**Disclaimer: POTC belongs to Disney.**

**Spoiler: Will, Will, Will… tsk tsk tsk**

Jack heard the cannons and felt the ship shaking mercilessly. His thoughts went to Elizabeth. _Where was she? Was she alright?_ Yes, yes. She was in his cabin. 

But that did not make her safe from the cannons. His mind told him to go find her and make sure she was safe but his instinct told him otherwise. He knew that if the ship was taken, Elizabeth wouldn't be safe. So trying to save her and then have the ship be taken was pointless.

He ran to the helm and shouted orders to the crew. Everyone was at their stations, ready to engage in battle with whoever was attacking them. Looking through his telescope, Jack spotted the ship and saw that it was flying no colors… meaning, it was the Dutchman. 

Jack pondered over why the Dutchman would be attacking his father's ship. It's not like he had done anything wrong. Maybe _Captain_ (hahaha) Will did not know it was them? 

But if he did, why was he shooting at them, especially with Elizabeth on board? Or perhaps _because_ Elizabeth was on board…

Despite his better judgment, he went to the Captain's quarters and woke Elizabeth up, without thinking to do it gently.

"Wake up, Lizzie! Wake up, Luv!" he said, shaking her violently.

"Jack? What is it? What's wrong?"

"We've got no time. Yer darling husband is blowing holes in my ship!"

The room shook when another shot made contact with the ship. Elizabeth fell off the bed and into Jack's arms, looking up at him in appreciation. 

"What do you mean? Is Will behind all this?"

"Aye, I'm afraid so."

"But why? Jack, what could possibly lead him to…"

Then, a cannon ball broke through the walls of the room, missing Elizabeth by a few inches. Jack hoisted her up into his arms and pressed a quick kiss to her forehead. 

"We've got to get out of here, Luv."

She nodded quickly and he carried her up to the deck, where the fighting had ensued. The Dutchman was beating them and Jack had personally had enough. 

After setting Elizabeth down, he told the first mate to raise the white flag, which he did hastily. Will spotted the flag and he ordered his crew to swing over to Jack's ship. 

Jack eyed Will suspiciously and casually walked over to him with that arrogant, yet irresistible to Elizabeth, smirk on his face.

"William! What brings yer undead little person here to _my_ ship?"

"_My_ wife." He said sternly. 

"Your wife, Mr. Turner, is doing perfectly fine. As you can see, she's completely unharmed and very much alive."

Will ignored Jack and walked over to Elizabeth, putting a possessive arm around her. She winced at the contact but smiled weakly at Will, then looked to Jack, assuring him.

"I'm so glad you're alright, Elizabeth. I saw… I had no idea what happened to you. Where were you?"

"I was sent to the Locker. I know, I didn't think it still existed either, but apparently, it belongs to Calypso. She wanted to, and probably _still_ wants to, punish everyone in the Brethren Court."

"Are _you_ alright? Did she hurt you?"

"No, I'm fine. Jack saved me."

"I can see that." He said in an annoyed tone of voice.

She looked at him curiously.

"That reminds me. Why were you blowing holes in the ship?"

"Perhaps it would be best if we discussed this in private."

Jack looked at Will intently.

"How come, mate? Let's just discuss everything right here. Now, why were ye blowing holes in our- (cough) _my_ ship?"

"It's not even _your_ ship, is it Jack. It's your father's."

"Which makes it mine. Now, ye got an explanation?"

"I'd like to speak with my wife alone."

"And who says she wants to be alone with ye?"

Will's eyes widened and he turned to Elizabeth, who was glaring at Jack for interfering. After all, she was still Will's lawful wife and he had the right to talk to her. 

"Jack, let him. Let's go to my room, Will."

She took his hand in hers and walked down to her quarters, but not before shooting Jack a warning glance to stay on deck. He didn't take it to heart and followed them anyway. Once the two closed the door, he put his ear against it so he could hear their conversation.

"Elizabeth, I was so worried."

"I'm sure you were. But that doesn't give you the right to blow up his ship!"

Jack smiled at the fact she was defending him.

"You're angry with me."

"Oh, you've noticed!" she yelled. 

He just looked at her, apologetically. 

"Will, I'm sorry. I shouldn't take it out on you. It's just that… all that time in the Locker certainly takes its toll on you."

"I attacked the ship because I knew Jack was here. I knew he saved you. I wanted to save you, Elizabeth. You are my _wife_. He doesn't have to be the one to _always_ rescue you."

"Will, is that it? Are you jealous that Jack was the one who brought me back? Who did I marry, Will? Who did I make a promise to love forever? You. Not Jack. _You_. I love _you_, Will. I could never love, Jack. Not the way you fear I would."

She prayed silently that Jack wasn't listening. _I don't love him, Jack. I love_ you.

"I just don't like the idea of you being alone with him. Especially since you two ki…" he stopped mid-sentence. 

"I thought we were past that."

"Perhaps we're not. Elizabeth, I just want to make sure you're safe. That's all I want for you."

"I know. We're going to be at Shipwreck Cove soon. Then Jack will leave in search of the Black Pearl. And I'm likely to never see him again." She said, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.

He smiled. He smiled widely and gave her a kiss.

"I love you, Darling."

"I love you, too. Don't forget that, please." She said, cupping his face. 

"I won't… I'll be going, then."

"Goodbye…"

"Don't say goodbye."

"What should I say?"

"Tell me you love me."

"I love you…"

"I love you, too, my Darling Elizabeth. I'll see you again…" 

And with that, he was out the door and up on deck, swinging back to the Dutchman and re-entering the waters from which it came. Jack, of course, had moved when he heard the door knob turn. Then, he entered Elizabeth's quarters and looked at her strangely. She knew he was listening. She knew. But she had to make sure…

"You heard everything, didn't you."

"Aye."

"And?"

He didn't respond, he just kept looking at her. Eyeing her as if she had done something wrong. As if she had lied to him. As if everything they ever had was a lie. But it wasn't…

Elizabeth took his silence for a loss of words. You only have a loss of words when something shocks you. She held back the tears that were starting to form behind her eyes.

"You hate me." She said quietly, but with conviction. 

"Aye. I hate ye." He said, looking deep into her eyes.

**A/N: End of chappie! Just kidding! Look to your right at the scroll button thingy… GASP! There's more! I was going to leave this as the end but that would make the chapter too short and too suspenseful. I'd get about a dozen flames for that… **

**So, here's the rest of the chapter and remember, things aren't always as they seem!**

_Aye_… who knew three little letters could evoke such emotions in a person. Such distress, such sadness, such _loneliness_. 

She kept a blank face but her emotions were clearly visible through her eyes and the tears that escaped them, despite her attempts at holding them back. She felt so horrible. Crying in front of him showed weakness. She didn't want him to know how she felt. 

Getting up off of the bed, Elizabeth started for the door but Jack was too quick and had her pinned against the wall in a matter of seconds. She looked away from his stare, not wanting him to see how much of an effect he had on her. She was trembling in his arms and he lifted her chin up so she had to look at him.

"I hate ye like the trees hate the sun, Elizabeth." he said, in utmost seriousness.

_Elizabeth? Since when does he call me Elizabeth?_

"I hate ye like a captain hates the helm." He continued on, her silence encouraging him.

She was utterly confused. Trees _didn't_ hate the sun. Captains _love_ the helm. But she didn't dare stop him now. 

"I hate ye like ye love… _him_." He whispered, putting leaning his head against hers, his eyes closing slowly.

That was the last straw for her. 

"I… I _don't_ love him. I don't love Will." She replied meekly, defensively. 

"You don't, do ye?"

She shook her head 'no'. 

"And I suppose ye mean to tell me that trees don't hate the sun? That captains don't hate the helm?... Then I'm sure ye must know…"

"Know what, Jack?"

"That things aren't always as they seem." He said mysteriously. 

"I don't understand… what… why are you doing this? Why can't you just…"

Before she could continue, he captured her lips in a fiery kiss, filled with passion and love and everything they felt for each other. He deepened the kiss and she threw her arms 

around him, pulling him closer, needing to feel him, to feel that this was really happening. 

He pulled back suddenly and, as she was about to say something, backed her up into the wall once more, his eyes boring into her very soul. Seeing right through her. It scared yet excited her. 

"I never, ever… want ye to think that I could hate ye. I could never hate ye, Lizzie. I love ye. More than anything. I can get mad at you, I can even want to strangle you sometimes… but I could never hate you. Do you understand?"

"Yes… I thought… I thought you were upset about what I said to Will. I only said it so he would go away. So he wouldn't hurt you. I didn't mean them…"

"I know, Luv. It's just… ye were very convincing. Even to me. I almost, _almost_ believed ye."

Then, she uttered the one word that could explain everything and take away all doubts…

"Pirate." She said, looking innocent.

"Pirate, eh? And what makes ye a pirate?"

"I like to pillage… and plunder… and ravage."

"I like the latter, Luv. Shall we begin?"

"Aye, Captain Sparrow. We shall."

And with that, the Captain locked the door to his bonnie lass's cabin and they proceeded with the task at hand. 


	6. Fury

**A/N: I know, I know! I haven't updated in forever! But I'm really going to try to get at least one more chapter up for each story before the end of the weekend. If you guys could let me know the top 2 stories you'd like me to update regularly, I'd really appreciate it! Then, we could actually start getting somewhere! Thanks so much for all of you who review!**

**Disclaimer: POTC belongs to Disney. **

By the time they emerged from his cabin, Jack and Elizabeth were flustered and it was night-time. Gibbs had been at the helm and all was right with the world. Walking hand-in-hand, Jack and Elizabeth made their way around the Pearl.

"Ye've _no_ idea how scared I was, Love, when I found out. Worse than Davey Jones himself."

"Thank you… for saving me. Again." She smiled.

"Lizzie, Darling. Can I ask ye something?"

"Of course. Anything."

"Anything, eh? Well… I think it not proper to rummage through one's belongings, don't you?"

"Of course!" she said, oblivious to his intentions.

"And you've _never_ done such a thing before, am I right?" he asked in an all-knowing, almost to the point of sarcasm, voice.

"No, Jack. I respect people's privacy."

"Am I not a person?"

"I'm sorry, I'm not following…"

"Maybe you'll follow this. Why'd ye read me journal?"

"What? How do you… How could you possibly know?" she asked, incredulously.

"It was upside down, Luv."

"Curiosity." She said, tantalizingly.

"Did ye find anything interesting?"

"As a matter of fact, I did."

"And?" he insisted.

"How long will it take us to get to Shipwreck Cove?" she asked, trying to change the dreadfully uncomfortable subject.

"Smart Lizzie. About a day, I'd imagine. Don't worry, I'm sure they know we'll be coming. I told Teague I'd get you back."

"You got more than that." She whispered into his ear, seductively.

"I think you rather enjoyed yourself as well, me pirate princess."

"It's King, Captain Sparrow."

"King Sparrow… Lizzie, Elizabeth…. Lizzie Spar… King Elizabeth Spar- no… King Lizzie Sparrow." He said quietly, more to himself than to her.

"What was that, Jack?"

"Nothing! Nothing at all, Luv. Just thinking out loud."

"And am _I_ in those thoughts?"

"Every. Last. One." He said, in-between kisses.

"I love you, Jack. More than you know."

"Well, Luv, I can't say I blame you! Many a lass have said that to me before. But none as beautiful and charming as you." He replied quickly after having received a glare from his dearly beloved Lizzie who was another's dearly beloved but not as beloved as when she was his beloved.

Jack had confused himself in his logic and proceeded in doing the one thing he was never unsure of: kissing his Pirate King Princess Lizzie.

"Jack, stop… I mean… the crew doesn't know. And, by law, Will and I are still married."

"Really? Because I think… that a marriage can be annulled if performed under false pretenses."

"What false pretenses were there?"

"You marry for love. You married Will. You don't love Will. Catch my drift?"

"Jack, that's the most preposterous thing I've ever heard! And yet… so brilliant!"

"Don't worry, my love. We'll get there soon."

"So… I'm no longer a Turner, then? I'm free?"

"As free was a swan should be."

"I see…"

"And what do you wish to do with that newfound freedom, your majesty?"

"Eat."

"Sorry?"

"Eat! I'm hungry."

"So am _I_…" he said huskily.

"No, really, Jack. I'm starving. I haven't had a decent meal in such a long time…"

"Well then, let's get that belly of yours nice and full. We'll save other… _splendors_… for later."

Together, they walked to the dining area of the Black Pearl and Jack watched as Elizabeth ate. She tried her best not to blush but when he smirked at her and looked to the door, she couldn't help but wonder what inappropriate thoughts he was having. But she was sure that she would be finding out soon.

Once she was finished, they walked to his room but Elizabeth was the one who was practically dragging him there. By the time they were inside, she was kissing him feverishly. He tenderly brushed her cheek and smiled, a golden toothed wonder.

"I haven't been this happy in a long time, ye know."

"Neither have I. I feel… reborn."

"Always a good thing, eh?"

"Yes, but… I'm still worried about Calypso. Surely she knows by now I escaped death. And she'll not be happy with that."

"Don't worry, Lizzie. I'll protect ye. With me own life and that of me crew. Nothing, not even a sea goddess, will be able to get to you."

"That's so sweet… Yes, Wi… _he _told me not to worry… that he'd be there, were something to happen. But I think I'd worry more if he _was_ there."

"And why is that?"

"Because the only way I won't worry is if _you're_ there." She said, seductively, and was about to give him another kiss.

But before she could reach his lips, he muttered the one thing she had been dying to hear ever since the last time he had said it.

"I love ye, Lizzie. Thank Heavens me father gave me a ship to come rescue ye."

"That reminds me, Jack. I never asked you… why are you and your father on such… bad terms?"

"Well, ye see, Luv, he and me mum had some rough times. I blamed him. Him and his… many friends."

"Like who?"

"_Women_ friends."

"Oh! Well… that won't happen with us, right? I mean… you'd never… would you?" she asked, uncertain.

"Do ye think I would?" he asked, slightly interested in how she regarded him.

"Well, no… but the apple never does fall far from the tree."

"You think I'd do that to ye? Betray ye?"

"No, Jack! That's the last thing I want. It would kill me if you did, though… _again_."

"Lizzie-Luv, I promise never to do anything of the sort. While you're mine, you're mine and mine alone. And I'm yours."

"Good." She said, smiling giddily.

"I love ye, Lizzie. Teague may have loved me mum… but not as much as I love ye. Yer me everything, Luv. Me rum, me ship, me crew… I could live without all that. But not without ye."

In this most serious moment, she began to laugh hysterically.

"What, me love, is so funny, if I might ask?"

"If we get married…"

"_When_, Luv. _When_ we get married."

"Right! _When_ we get married, you'll be Queen Jack Sparrow!"

"Go on, Luv. Laugh all ye want."

Before she could respond, the ship rocked suddenly and the once clear night grew darker and stormy. Waves crashed upon the Pearl and there was only one thing that could cause such a drastic turn of events: Calypso's fury.


	7. Lessons

**A/N: Ok so I just realized I made a huge mistake in the last chapter. I said that they were on the Black Pearl so please disregard that. Jack doesn't have the Pearl back yet. They are on his father's ship, the White Roamer. SO SORRY for the mix-up! Thank you to those of you who review and I hope you like this chappie!**

**Disclaimer: POTC belongs to Disney. **

The ship swayed but not pleasantly as the winds picked up and thunder crackled in the sky. It was similar to the battle with the EITC and Davy Jones but this time, without the maelstrom. Jack held onto Elizabeth before she would fall and get hurt as the rocking became more violent.

"Hold on t'me, Luv!"

"There's no way out! This is Calypso's doing. I _told_ you she'd come!"

"Now's hardly the time! Come, quick! We have to get ye safe."

"Where are you going?!" she asked, a hint of desperation in her trembling voice.

He smiled inwardly at this and gave her a determined look.

"To steer us out of this mess."

"No, don't go! Or… let me come with you!"

"No chance of that happening, Darling. I told ye I'd protect ye… and I will." He said before he ran out of his quarters, locking the door behind him.

Frustrated, she ran to the door and tried to open it but to no avail. _Damn you, Jack Sparrow._ There had to be another way out. Or a way to get someone from the outside to open the door for her…

Using all her might, she pounded on the door with her clenched fists, causing quite a ruckus.

"Let me out! Somebody! _Anybody_!"

"Anyone in there?" a voice replied.

"Yes! Who's there? Open the door!"

"What are you doing locked in there?"

"Please, Sir. Open this door _immediately_."

"Yes, but why…"

"As Pirate King, I _command_ you to _open_ this door!"

Frightened, the boy did as he was told and unlocked the door for the furious woman behind it. Unfortunately, as she stepped out of the cabin, another fierce wave crashed on the ship, knocking her to the ground, unconscious. Not wanting to take the blame, the crewmember ran upstairs to help the ship sail through the perilous storm.

The first mate, Don, was passing by, though, and panicked when he saw Miss Elizabeth on the floor, but unawares that she was not awake, kept going upstairs, seeing as the Captain would need his help.

Up on deck, Jack was struggling to steer the White Roamer. He gripped the helm tightly and used all his strength to turn it away from a large wave about to crash. All he could think about was Elizabeth and how he had to protect her. That was what gave him the courage to face Calypso head on. The wind started to pick up as well and the Roamer's sails were swinging madly but he dare not give up now. He shouted some orders to the crew and they made all haste to do their tasks.

The point of this little storm was obviously to wipe out two of the nine pirate lords. But Jack was not about to let that happen. Things could not really get much worse, could they?

And then they did. The winds became more damaging and the waves higher, more powerful. Merciless. And that's what Calypso was. Merciless and cruel. And she was showing it off at the moment.

Not even Captain Jack Sparrow could sail through a storm like this and once he realized how much trouble they were in, he gave the helm to a random crewmember and ran below deck to check on Elizabeth. When he saw her lying on the floor, unmoving, he panicked and felt his worst nightmares coming true. _Again_.

But then he saw her breathing and finally let out the breath that he had been holding. Jack scooped her up in his arms and took her to his quarters as another wave rocked the ship furiously. He sat down and held her tight. _At least if we go this time, we'll go down together. _He heard the thunder crackling and held her to him tight, kissing her forehead, muttering words of comfort every now and then.

But then, everything suddenly stopped. The winds calmed down, as did the waves, and the night sky cleared up to what it had once been. _Was that only a warning? A taste of what's yet to come?_ He just did not know. Assuming things were safe, he set her down on his bed and went back up to deck to check on things.

"How much?" he asked Don.

"Damage's not as bad as we thought, C'pn. Although we won't know how bad it really is until morning. But she's been through a rough one, she has. The point is she survived."

"Aye. But how… why did she stop?"

"The storm?"

"Calypso."

"The sea goddess? That was _her_ rage?"

"Yes, that we saved Elizabeth."

"Ah, I see… Well perhaps she's forgiven us!" he said jollily, which received him a stern look from the Captain. This first mate of his reminded him so much of Gibbs at times.

"Calypso doesn't forgive. She destroys."

"That she does. Speaking of which, where is Elizabeth?"

"Below. In me cabin. She's lost consciousness."

"Oh. Well best ye tend to 'er. I'll keep the crew in check, mind ye."

"Right."

Following Don's advice, he went down to check on Elizabeth, who was just now stirring.

"Lizzie, are you alright?"

"My head hurts but other than that, I'm fine. What happened?"

"You must've fallen when a wave hit."

"Oh. Oh! Calypso! Did we defeat her? Why is the ship not rocking?"

"Calm down, Luv. Yer babbling. I have no idea why she stopped and I don't care to find out."

"Will." She breathed out, hollowly.

"What?!" he gasped, surprised she would even mention his name.

"It must have been. He must have stopped her. Which means she'll come back."

"Which means we'll soon have yet another visit from dear Will."

"He's not so _dear_ anymore. I thought you'd learned that by now." She said, kissing him gently.

"Nope. Still haven't got it. Perhaps ye could keep _teaching_ me. Eh, Luv?"

She gave him another kiss but this time it was more feverish, more passionate.

"I'm learning already." He said leaning in for another kiss which she blocked with hand.

"This can wait. We need to find out what's going on, Jack."

"Oh, alright." He muttered, grumpily.

"Upset, are you?"

"I was just starting to enjoy the lesson."

"Maybe you could teach _me_ something later…"

"I bet there's plenty I could _teach_ ye later…"

"Yes, later." She said, getting up to leave the cabin.

Before she could leave, however, he blocked her exit and closed the door, slamming her into it. He looked deeply into her eyes and she could almost grasp the raw emotions shining in his dark, coal eyes. She cupped his face in her hands and smiled lightly, giving him small kisses. Then, his hands started traveling to more intimate places, setting her on fire. Her self control diminishing with every second. Soon, she was excited and heated and ready for what she was sure was next. But, much to her dismay, the Captain stopped, set her down, and opened the door, grabbing her hand to leave.

"Later, Lizzie-Luv." He said, smirking.

_How dare he! _She thought.

_Haha. Now ye know what ye do to me, Lizzie. _He thought to himself.

Frustrated, she followed him and kept close as they went up to inspect the damage. But that wasn't all they found…


	8. Not So Coherent

**A/N: Couldn't resist updating sooner. I hate that about me. LOL but you guys probably love it! Anyway, R and R pretty please? Here's a hopefully relatively long chapter. Enjoy!!**

**Disclaimer: POTC belongs to Disney. **

In the moonlight, the shape of another ship off in the distance was visible. Jack's grip on Elizabeth tightened as he realized who it was. _Bloody eunuch! Why must he keep following us? He needs to leave my Lizzie alone!_ Elizabeth rested her chin on his shoulder as he held her close, placing a delicate kiss on her head.

"It's him, isn't it."

"Aye, Luv. It's him."

"I don't know what to say to him this time, Jack. I can't keep lying like this. I tell him I love him and I don't. It hurts to see him so happy. It'll kill him when he finds out none of it was ever true."

"Just do what ye've been doing. It'll be ok, Lizzie. I promise. And if things get too out of hand, just call on ol' Jack and I'll help ye."

"_Old_ Jack? You're not _that_ old…"

"Why thank ye, Darling… Oh bugger. He's coming this way."

"Jack?"

"Aye, Luv?"

"I think it's best if you let go of me now. Or else he'll suspect something."

"Oh, right."

Hesitantly, he removed his arm from around her waist and took two steps to the left, all the while looking at her.

"That's quite enough, Jack." She said, purposely quoting him.

"Never can be too sure, Dearie. Don't want good old William to grow tentacles, do we?"

"No. I would never wish that upon him. He's like a brother to me."

"And what am I?"  
"You're my pirate."

"And you're me bonnie lass." He said confidently.

She smiled at him and watched dreadfully as Will's ship got closer and closer to theirs.

"I'll have to tell him. He won't take it well."

"Like I said. I'll be waiting right here. Ten minutes… and you're not back? I'm coming in."

"Thank you, Jack."

"Anytime, Luv."

In a matter of minutes, the Flying Dutchman was only a few feet from the White Roamer and Will swung over on a rope. Before Jack could come up with a witty way to greet him, he pulled out his pistol and aimed it at Jack.

"Will, what are you _doing_?" shouted Elizabeth, furiously.

"Nothing I don't have the right to." He replied, sternly.

"Stop it! Stop it _now_!!"

"Why? Why are you _defending_ him? Don't you _know_ what he's done?"

"What has he done?!"

Jack looked from Elizabeth to Will.

"What have I done?" he asked, just as shocked as Elizabeth was.

"You stole Elizabeth from me!"

"Did not… She _chose_ to come to me."

Elizabeth gave Jack a menacing look.

"Jack!"

"What? It's true."

"Will, put the sword down. Now. And let's talk like civilized… pirates."

Will looked at Elizabeth confusedly as he sheathed his sword.

"_Pirates_? Elizabeth… you're no _pirate_."

"She is if she says she is."

"No one asked _you_."

"No one asked ye either. Lizzie's more of a pirate than ye'll ever be. She likes to pillage…"

Elizabeth shot Jack a deathly stare. If looks could kill, he'd be long dead.

"Jack…" she said, sternly warning him.

"Plunder…"

"_Jack_…."

"Ravage…"

"_**Jack!**_ Both of you, stop it now! Will, I… I have to tell you something."

Will had a concerned look on his face.

"What is it, my love?"

"Jack is… right. I _did_ choose to go to him. It's my own fault. I fell in love with him, Will."

"What? How… how can you do this to me?"

"I'm not doing it _to_ you. I'm doing it _for_ me. I love him. Why can't you accept that?"

"Because you're my wife!"

"Not according to Jack. He annulled it for me… Listen, Will… I'm terribly sorry. I still _do_ love you, just not in that way anymore. It's so hard for me…"

"Then imagine how it must be for me!"

"Will…"

"Save it, Elizabeth. I should have always known. I should have known from that kiss that you were his. That he stole your heart. I still can't see why, though. I just wonder what your father would say…"

"Don't bring him into this…"

"His virtuous daughter… with a pirate. How it would disgrace him. _Disappoint_ him."

"He would want me to be happy."

"And safe. The sort of safety that Jack can't offer you."

"I told you not to trust me! It's your own fault if you did."

"The strangest thing is… is I expected this to happen. I should have let Calypso take her fury out on you. It would spare me the pain of losing you to him."

"So you _are_ the one that stopped her."

"Yes. Foolish, isn't it? To believe that love prevails."

"Will, I did love you. I _do_ love you. You're my best friend…"

"I should have known you would leave me. First James Norrington. Now me. How long until you leave Jack, here, hm?"

"Will, please… I never meant for any of this to happen… Where's the Will I know?" she managed to say through the tears.

Will immediately regretted ever having said those hurtful words to her. They would not get them back together. But perhaps if he showed her compassion and kindness, that would.

"Perhaps we should discuss this in private." He said, showing his warm side.

"Alright, then."

As Elizabeth was walking towards her cabin, Jack grabbed her arm.

"Lizzie, Luv, are ye sure about this?"

"Yes. I'll clear things up with him and then we'll be free."

"Ten minutes."

"Right."

Once inside, Elizabeth and Will were silent. Neither wanted to initiate the conversation for fear of things getting out of hand. Finally, Will decided to begin.

"I just want to know… when did it happen?"

"Do you remember when I died?"

"Yes…"

"I died because of a broken heart. And not because you were gone… but because of Jack. I know you feel like I've betrayed you, Will… but I really haven't! I still love you and I always will. Just not like I did before."

"I still love you. Like I did before. But it seems you've chosen your path…"

"Will, I wish I could explain this to you more…"

"I have to go. I'll be seeing you again, I'm sure."

"Must you go now?"

"Oh, so you're going to pretend you actually _want_ me to stay?"

"I'm not pretending. I do want you to stay. I think we should talk about this. It's important!"

"I know. But not as much as it used to be. I'll come back."

"When?"

"Whenever."

And with that, he left the cabin and Elizabeth in the chair, confused. Jack gave him a suspicious look as he swung back to the Flying Dutchman and, when Elizabeth didn't immediately, come out, he went inside to check up on her. She was crying, burying her face in her hands.

"Lizzie? Are you alright?"

She didn't respond, just simply kept on crying. The indifference that the once kind and caring Will expressed towards her was shocking and it hurt. It hurt to lose someone that played such a substantial role throughout the majority of your life.

Jack began to feel guilty. He felt like he had rushed their relationship and taken advantage of her. But no… he loved her. And she loved him. So it had to be real. What they had. How could he ever doubt that? But then again… the way she was crying… it looked as though the love of her life had broken up with her. Or vice versa.

Elizabeth noticed Jack's sad demeanor and tried her hardest to stop crying. She wiped the tears from her eyes and was able to muster a small smile for Jack.

"Yes, I'm fine. It's just… he took it harder than I thought he would."

"Lizzie… you don't have any… regrets, do ye?"

"Regrets? Of course not! Jack… I love you… How can you not be sure of that?"  
"I am, I just… never mind. Forget I said anything."

"Alright… Jack?"

"Aye, Luv?"

"Could you… could you stay with me tonight?"

"Of course, Luv." He said seductively.

"No, not like that. I need you. I need to know you need me too."

"Oh. Of course, Luv. I'll be here for ye. Come on. Let's get ye to bed, eh?"

Jack helped Elizabeth to bed before getting in with her and she snuggled up in his chest, fitting her head in the crook of his neck. She then realized that she could stay that way forever. In Jack's arms. Just laying there felt so right. And then all the pain she was feeling just moments before disappeared completely. She kissed the back of his hand, receiving a pleased sigh from her Captain.

"Thank you, Jack."

"For what, Lizzie?"

"Everything."

"Get some sleep, Luv."

Taking his advice, she closed her eyes and began to feel the fatigue overcome her. But before she drifted off to sleep, she managed to utter one more coherent, or not so coherent, sentence to her beloved.

"Marry me…"

And Jack Sparrow's once heavy eyelids opened up wide.

**A/N: I know, I know. Another cliffie. Well, sort of. LOL. Anyway, please review!! I love hearing from you guys. And more reviews more frequent updates…**


	9. A Slip of Tongue

**A/N: Well, sorry for the wait but here's the next chapter! Get ready for some twists and turns and a slightly different interpretation of our dear, sweet Lizzie. Enjoy and please don't forget to R and, most importantly, R!**

**Disclaimer: POTC belongs to Disney.**

He looked at her sleeping form curiously. Could it have been an accident? A slip of tongue? A misstatement? He had heard her clearly. She said "marry me". She did. But… did she mean it? Maybe she was just dreaming… and she said it in her sleep.

A million thoughts rushed through his head as he tried to logically find an explanation.

_Well, if it means anything, I'd say yes. _Yes… He wondered what _she_ would say should _he_ pose the question… More than anything, he wanted to shake her until she woke up so he could ask her right now. But Jack Sparrow was a very patient man. He knew that you had to wait for the opportune moment. And the next morning would be it.

With thoughts of Elizabeth rushing through his head, he went to sleep, his dreams coinciding with his thoughts.

Morning arrived faster than he imagined as the sun shone brightly on his face, waking him up. He opened his eyes to see Elizabeth nibbling on her lower lip.

_Did I _really_ say that? Or was it just a dream…_ _Yes. A dream. I couldn't possibly have said that… what will he think of me now? Jack Sparrow is _not_ one for commitment… And if I did say it…_

She was interrupted by the sound of her name being called.

"Yes?"

"I asked ye if ye were alright. Ye look a little out of it."

"Oh, yes. I'm fine, Jack."

"Well, in that case… will ye…" he paused for a moment to rethink his decision.

"Will I…"

"Willyemarryme,Lizzie,Luv?"

"I'm sorry?"

He sighed. He didn't want to have to say it again for he feared what her answer might be. _A slip of tongue_…

"Nothing, Luv. Nothing at all."

"Oh. Alright, then." She said, a hint of disappointment in her voice.

_That's funny. I could have sworn he asked me to… no, he wouldn't. What was I thinking? Stupid Elizabeth. Too damn hopeful for my own good._

"Shouldn't you be getting up, then?" she asked, a little more coldly than she had meant it to be.

"Everything alright, Luv?"

"Oh, yes! I'm bloody fantastic! I've got a husband who just found out I don't love him anymore. A ten year promise I have to keep or else said husband turns into a squid. And a stubborn, stupid, wonderfully wonderful pirate captain who hasn't promised me a single thing! I'm doing just fine!" she yelled, as she stormed out of the cabin, looking for something to do or somewhere to hide.

Jack sat there bewildered by her sudden outburst and wondered whether or not he should go after her. Decidedly not. Although… she did look quite adorable when she was angry. But that was beside the point.

What did she mean 'no promises'? He loved her… wasn't that a promise? He should have just asked her. She would have said yes. Would have? Would _still_…?

He just didn't know. And he wasn't about to find out, either. Not with her current mood.

Swiftly, he got out of bed and relieved Cotton of his duties at the helm, taking over like a good captain should. He scanned the deck in search of Elizabeth but didn't see her and started to get a little worried.

_What if she's stuck somewhere? What if she got lost in the cargo hold? What if-? _

He stopped himself before he got lost in all the possibilities. He was sure that she was just fine.

But in fact, she was not fine. She was below deck where the rum was kept and was crying her eyes out. She didn't even know _why_ she was crying.

Maybe because she thought Jack would be mad at her for going off on him. Or maybe because she had been expecting him to ask the same question she worried she may have asked him last night.

_How wonderful it would have been to become Mrs. Captain Jack Sparrow…_

She quickly shook the thought and wiped her eyes as she took another large gulp of rum. Before long, a few bottles of rum were on the floor, empty of their contents. She had drunk the pain away and was quite drunk herself. She was surprised at how much she could actually hold as she slowly but surely got up the stairs to the deck.

When she finally got up there, she saw Jack at the helm and laughed indignantly. She finally felt free. All her worries were washed away. Or so she thought.

Out of nowhere, the Flying Dutchman came up from the depths and Will boarded before ever asking for permission. Jack looked at him, a hint of jealousy and worry in his eyes as 

he approached Lizzie. He didn't want to make things look suspicious but he just didn't like the idea of the two being alone together so he walked up to Will, giving him a pat on the back. A _hard_ one, at that.

"Back so soon?"

"I came to see Elizabeth… Is she alright?"

She nuzzled against his neck and eyed Jack proudly. He couldn't believe it. She was actually trying to make him jealous. Was this punishment for not finishing the damn question?

"Oh of course I'm alright, Willy. I'm just fiiiiiiiiine." She slurred.

"You smell like… rum. Elizabeth, since when do you drink rum?" he asked, confusedly.

"Since Jack won't marry me!" she giggled.

"What?"

Jack's eyes widened and he looked at Will like he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Nothing to worry about, dear husband. I looooove youuu. I think I'd die if you were gone…" she said slurring her speech.

"I love you, too, Elizabeth. But I thought you'd left me… for _him_."

"I changed my miiiiiiiiind. At least you're deeeeependable."

"Do you mean it?"

Jack grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his cabin.

"Jack, what do you think you're doing?"

"We'll just be a minute, whelp!"

He closed the door behind him and looked at Elizabeth.

"What are ye bloody _doing_?"

"Nooooothing."

"Are ye drunk?"

"Am IIIII? I wouldn't knooooow."

"Bloody bugger! How much did ye drink, Lizzie?"

"Enough."

"Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie. Ye don't mean any of it, do ye?"

"I loooove you… Jackie! Marry me."

"What?" he said, knowing full well what she had said.

"Marry me, Jackie! Marrrrrry me." She said, seductively, rolling her r's.

"Liz'beth. Yer drunk, Luv. Ye've no idea what yer saying."

"But youuuu do. So say yesssssss."

"Luv…"

"Say yes or I'll go back to Willy."

"Yer not going anywhere like this."

"Watch me!"

She tried to walk towards the door but drunkenly fell to the floor.

"Like I said, Luv. Ye can't exactly go anywhere. Now… I'm going to talk to Willy… I mean Will. I mean the whelp."

"Hahahaha! You said Willy!"

"S'not that funny, Luv."

"Yes, it is!"

"Here… why don't ye have a seat, Luv. I'll be right back, alright?"

"Alrighty, Jackie. Jaaaackie. Tell Willy I don't looooove him. Tell him I love youuuuu."

Jack walked out on deck and went to Will, a bit hesitant.

"What's wrong with her? Why is she acting this way?"

"She's had a little too much to drink. Now off ye go. Ferry those souls and all that. She'll be just fine."

"No! You can't lock her up, Jack. If she loves me… if she's changed her mind about you, you can't force her to stay with you. She has a mind of her own."

"That she does. But, unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, her mind is, as of the moment, influenced by a hefty number of rum bottles therefore she's not apt to be using said mind, as it were."

"I'll be back tomorrow. And _then_ we'll see which man she chooses."

With that, Will jumped ship and sank back into the depths of the ocean. When Jack went back into his cabin, he saw Elizabeth leaning on his bookshelf, her head cocked to side as she looked him up and down.

"Ye alright, Luv?"

But she didn't answer. She simply walked over to him and wrapped her arms around him, kissing his neck, then moving up to his jaw line. And the strangest thing was… she looked sober. She wasn't laughing or slurring.

"Lizzie?"

"Shhhh. You'll ruin the moment if you speak." She whispered.

"The moment?"

"Shhhh."

Her lips then moved to his and he wasn't about to pass up this opportunity. With all haste, he pushed her against the wall and kissed her feverishly, hungrily. But when she moaned as his tongue entered her mouth… _a slip of tongue_… he remembered that she wasn't herself. If he continued on, it would be like taking advantage of her. And he wasn't about to do that.

Damn it, he thought. I am too much of a good man. And not enough of a good pirate. Whatever happened to ravaging?

Before he knew it, he heard snoring and all her weight fell on him. _Of course. _The rum had finally taken its toll on her. She would sleep for a few hours and then wake up with a horrible headache. And when she did, he would be there for her.

And he'd get to the bottom of her heartache. And… he'd finally answer… answer..? No… Ask. He'd finally ask her the question that had been burning in his _mind_, his _heart_, his _soul_ ever since she burned the _food_, the _shade_, the _rum_.

**A/N: Yay! See? No cliffie! Aren't you proud of me? Now… to celebrate, click that blue little button and let me know what you thought! Your reviews mean everything to me!!**


	10. A Chance Taken

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating. I had to fix chapter 6 due to some plot interferences, so you can check that out if you want to. Though it wasn't a huge change. Thanks so much for reviewing, it means everything to me and PLEASE REVIEW!**

**Disclaimer: POTC belongs to Disney.**

Elizabeth woke up feeling rather light-headed. She was in Jack's cabin but she had no recollection of how she had gotten there. The last thing she remembered was having this very strange dream in which Will had shown up… or was it a dream at all?

She got up out of bed, Jack's bed, and looked out the window. It was a beautiful day and she wanted to see it for herself so she left his room but out in the hallway, none other than the object of her affection was standing there, waiting for her.

She smiled at his presence then frowned at his response, or lack thereof. He didn't smile at her. He looked… angry. No, not angry. Uncertain…?

"Jack, what's… what's wrong?"

"Well, Luv… ye don't remember anything about last night, do ye?"

She just shook her head 'no'.

"At least, I don't think I do. I had some dreams… some strange dreams. Will was there."

"They weren't dreams, Lizzie…"

This was it. It was his last hope. He had to bind her to him somehow. He needed a promise. He needed to know that it would always be like this. That Will couldn't interfere, that he wouldn't be able to get in the way. So he decided to do the one thing he could. He led her back into his cabin and shut the door lightly.

Turning to her, his eyes boring into hers, he sighed and hesitantly began speaking.

"Will you… no." he whispered under his breath, cursing himself for using the one word that sounded like her ex-beloved's name… "Would…. Would, yes. Would you marry me, Lizzie Swann?"

Her eyes gleamed with tears of joy and she threw herself into his protective arms and gave him a desperate, joyful kiss.

"Yes, of course I will… no… Of course I shall!" she laughed.

"Ye know, if I'd known a few years back that I'd be married to the most beautiful pirate in all the seven seas, I would have taken better care of meself."

"I could say the same thing…"

"He'll be coming back, today, Darling. He wasn't sure if… If you really meant the things you said to him."

"Of course I meant them. Or else I would not have said them."

"But last night, in yer drunken state, ye made him think otherwise."

"Oh, I… I see."

"Lizzie… why were ye drinking? What had ye so upset?"

"You hadn't asked me to marry you yet. I thought you were going to and then you didn't and I… I just got upset. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…"

"Ye don't need to apologize for anything, Luv. T'was me own fault. Should've had the courage to ask ye before."

"Courage? You mean you were nervous?"

"Of course, Lizzie. S'not exactly like I propose all the time."

"You did once…"

"Aye, once…" he said, recalling their old times together.

"I wanted to say yes, you know."

His ears perked up at this and he smiled at her amusedly, wanting to heat more.

"Did ye, now?"

"Yes… I know you were partly joking but…"

"I wasn't jokin', Luv."

"How I wanted to say yes… but back then I still had _him_ holding me back."

"Well, at least now we can make up for lost time, aye?"

"Aye." She whispered, content with just being next to him. Feeling his breath tingling her cheek. Knowing that he would always be there. Because now, she was bound to him. And there was not a better feeling in the world.

And if there was, which there wasn't, she hoped that she'd never get a chance to experience it because, in her world, in this time, there was no such thing. Jack was her 

only savior, her only love, her only joy, her only hope, he was all that existed in this, their time. Their time to love. And she would not let Will get in their way.

But that didn't mean that Will wouldn't push his way through and stand between them. Because that was what Jack was sure was going to happen. But, in the meantime, he just held her close, trying to memorize the feeling. Trying to memorize the feeling of her lips on his and her hands on his shoulders. Her soft whispers in his ear when he'd kiss her neck. Her. Simply. Just. Her.

Their embrace was interrupted by one of the deckhands who informed them that "the angry captain" had returned. Jack sighed tiredly and took Elizabeth by the hand, going upstairs to deal with yet another interference.

Will saw the two lovebirds (Swann and Sparrow…) and looked away before he ran them both through with a sword. While he may not have seemed angry when Elizabeth broke the news to him, the truth was that he was furious. And he wanted Jack gone. He wasn't over Elizabeth and he doubted that he ever would be.

"Elizabeth, are you feeling better?" he asked her, with genuine concern evident in his voice.

"Yes, I'm fine, Will. And I'd like to apologize for yesterday. I think I may have given you the wrong impression. I love Jack."

Will's smile fell at this comment and Jack's widened.

"See, Mate? She doesn't want to go with ye. And that's her decision, not mine."

"I see… Elizabeth, is there nothing I can do to change your mind? I love you…"

Elizabeth frowned inwardly at his desperation. But she loved Jack. And Will couldn't change that, she wouldn't let him. It wouldn't be fair to her or Jack. Or him, for that matter. So, she just smiled faintly and looked him in the eye.

"I'm afraid not, Will. Jack, he… he proposed to me and we are getting married. I'm sorry. But know this, Will, I'll always love you. You will always be my friend. If you wish to remain so, that is."

"I'm sorry too, Elizabeth." He said, smiling to himself. "I hope you have a nice life… with him" he said, tonelessly.

As he went back to the Dutchman, he recalled the conversation he had had with Calypso a few days ago.

"_Why are you doing this to her? What did she do to you?"_

"_She did nothing. But she sides with those who did. The ones who bound me all those years ago. You think I let her go? You think I not punish her later? She and all the Court will suffer."_

"_Calypso, I beg of you. Take the others. They don't matter. But don't take my wife…"_

"_Ah, but your wife won't approve of that, Captain Turner… What about Jack?"_

"_Jack Sparrow?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Spare him as well! He's always been a good friend. Please, please stop what you're doing to them. They don't deserve it! They freed you!"_

_She hesitated for a moment and then sighed in defeat._

"_Alright, then. I will save the two. For now. But when you change your mind, you know where to find me."_

"_I won't change my mind. Why would I want you to hurt them?"_

"_Because you will want them hurt. Perhaps not now… but soon. I'll be seeing you, Captain Turner."_

"_Wait! What do you mean I will want to hurt them? Why?"_

"_Because your wife may not be as faithful as she makes herself out to be."_

"_What are you saying?"_

"_I'm saying she's with Sparrow. And Sparrow is known for his seductive ways. What makes you think Elizabeth will not fall for it?"_

"_I love her…"_

"_But does she love you as much as she loves him?"_

_The kiss played through his mind over and over again. That kiss. Yes, that one. The one that changed everything. But Elizabeth had explained things to him. There was no way… Was there?_

He scoffed at the thought. How could he have been so naïve? Oh well… It didn't matter now. And then he remembered Calypso's offer. She had offered him a chance to get even. A chance for revenge. And he was more than inclined to take that chance.

But would he…?

He thought for a moment. He did still love her.

But without that feeling being returned, it was of no significance.

Could he actually go through with it? Could he join Calypso? Together, could they separate Jack and Elizabeth?

With a sea goddess at his side, he doubted there was anything he couldn't do. And he wouldn't hurt them. No, he would just separate them. Yes. It was the perfect plan.

But would it work…?

He decided to dismiss his doubtful thoughts and went to his father.

"Hi, Son. Do we have a heading?"  
"Yes, we do…"

"Where to?"

"Calypso."


	11. Are You Who I Think You Are?

**A/N: Wow, another quick update. I know, I keep surprising myself, too. A big thanks to my reviewers and an even bigger thank you to AcousticMaiden for suggesting that I be more descriptive in my stories instead of having so much dialogue. I hope this chapter lives up to that!! (though, there's quite a bit of talking)**

**P.S.- Don't forget to review!**

**Spoiler: She's back! **

**Disclaimer: POTC belongs to Disney.**

They sailed for what seemed like an eternity to Will. He was anxious to see the one person, well, goddess that could make all of his dreams come true: being with Elizabeth. The ocean seemed dark and eerie, a green color to it but without the presence of seaweed. And then, he saw her island. Contrary to popular belief, Calypso did not live underwater, but rather on an island. She kept her human form as she had grown fond of it after so much time.

Will was allowed to step on this particular island and he sighed happily as he felt the sand crunch beneath his black leather boots. He saw Calypso standing, watching the waves longingly.

After he told his father and the rest of his crew to stay on the ship, he approached the sea goddess. And she didn't even have to turn around to know it was him.

"I see you changed your mind, then, Captain Turner." She said in her exotic accent, smiling coyly to herself.

"Yes, some… problems did arise."

"Problems, you say?" she asked, turning around to look at him.

She noticed that something had changed about his demeanor. He wasn't that same boy who was hopelessly devoted to that treacherous wench of a King that had visited her just a few days ago. No… he was a different person, now. He had been broken…. Just like she was once broken.

The sun was shining warmly on their backs but her stare seemed to pierce him more than the sun's rays. It was a knowing stare… a mysterious stare.

"What kind of problems?" but she knew all too well what kind.

"You were right. About Elizabeth, that is. She's… she's with Jack, now."

"I see… And I suppose you came to me to fix this? To go back to my original plan of letting the sea take them down?"

"No, I could never ask that. I still love her…"

"When will you get it? She doesn't love you anymore. What reason have you to keep her alive?"

"As long as she's alive… there's still a chance for me."

After a few moments of intense thinking, she smirked at him and narrowed her eyes.

"And what is it you be wanting then? I see no other way."

"I was wondering… if it's possible… to make it so they never fell in love."

"You want me… to make them forget that they love each other? It cannot be done. One cannot stop love. One cannot change it. If it happens, it was meant to be."

"Is there anything you can do? Anything at all… perhaps making it so they never meet? Or… separate them… anything. Please, Calypso… I'll be forever in your debt…"  
"There is… _something_ that can be done. You want to be with her. Do you care in what way?"

"I don't think I understand."

"I can take her back… to the moments before she fell in love with him. She will live now but with only the recollection of what was before."

"Will she love me?"

"If she loved you before, I assume so, yes."

"What about Jack?"

"He will eventually give up fighting. You see, Jack Sparrow is not one to attach himself to one lass. He'll forget about her. Just like she will forget she almost ever loved him."

"But what about your revenge? I thought you wanted them to suffer…"

"What better punishment than to take love from their lives? To take away their choices. That is enough for me. Is it for you?"

"What makes you so sure that Jack will just give up?"

"Let's just say… I know what's beneath that drunken swagger. Jack Sparrow's a broken man. If he loses the girl, him heart will be broken. And him life will hold no purpose… all chances of getting her back will be lost."

"How do we go about doing this?"

"You, go back to your ship. And leave it to me. Find them. Elizabeth will be frantically searching for you. She'll think Jack has taken her. And then… you rescue her."

"What about the curse? I can't be with her if…"

"Yer father's aboard the Dutchman, yes?"

"Yes, he is."

"I see. Then he can take the captaincy and you can be with Elizabeth."

"Thank you so much… but why are you doing this?"

"I see the way she looks at Jack. It will kill her inside to be away from him. That is all I need." She said, a sadistic smile creeping up her face.

With a nod of his head, Will went back to his ship, only faintly hearing what sounded like Calypso reciting a spell. And for the first time in a very long time, he had hope for him and Elizabeth. Real, true hope. He had faith… because, unlike her, he believed that they were meant to be together. And he would do whatever it took to do so.

* * *

Jack and Elizabeth had been reminiscing old times for the past few hours. They recalled the island and how she had burned all the rum. His eyes gleamed as he spoke of how 

much he had wanted to kiss her. And she blushed as she revealed how she had wanted him to kiss her.

They were in the galley, eating lunch when Elizabeth started complaining of a headache.

"Are you alright, Luv?"

"Yes, I think so…Perhaps I should just lie down."

"I'll come check on you in a few hours."  
"Thank you, Jack."

She stood up from her chair and gave him a long, passionate kiss that warmed his insides to the core.

"I love you…"

"I love you, too, Lizzie. Feel better."

She went to her cabin, well, _Jack's_ cabin which was now _their_ cabin and lay down in his bed, pulling the sheets up to her neck. She wasn't cold but somehow, being wrapped in Jack's covers, with his scent embedded in it, made her feel oddly better. But then the headaches came back. And now, her whole body ached, her mind, her heart… Especially her heart. She tried to call for Jack but no sound came out. She couldn't move. She was utterly helpless.

No matter how much she fought it, her eyes eventually closed and she was engulfed in a black oblivion that drowned out every thought, every feeling, every word from her system.

Jack went about his business, oblivious to the fact that Elizabeth was in trouble. He took the helm for a few hours and then decided to check on Elizabeth. It was a cloudy day and that did not bode well. He had hoped her headaches improved and when he walked into his… _their_ cabin, he froze.

In his, _their_ bed… was a girl of about 17. She certainly resembled Elizabeth. But where _was_ Elizabeth? He did not remember having another woman aboard the ship. Unless…

Of course it was Elizabeth. But she seemed so different, so… inexperienced and innocent…

He cautiously walked up to the sleeping form and observed her features, taking careful notice of the color of her hair, the shape of her nose, the outline of her lips… things he had all memorized very well. And it was her. Yet how it could possibly be her was unknown to him. Why did she look so young? They hadn't even gotten to the Fountain of Youth yet and here she was, younger (if only slightly) than when he first met her… When he met her…

Could this have something to do with Will? He knew Calypso was a very powerful goddess. Could it be that he went to her, in search of a way to ruin their relationship?

If so, this was a pretty good way of doing it!

Gently, so as not to scare the girl… the girl? _Lizzie_. His Lizzie. He held onto her shoulders and gently shook her. Her amber eyes opened slowly at first and then opened abruptly as she finally realized the situation. She recoiled from his touch and scooted back so her head reached the wall. Looking up at him in shock with only a hint of curiosity, she started breathing heavily and shaking.

"Who… Who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Lizzie, is that you?"

"Lizzie? My name is Elizabeth Swann and you shall refer to me as such. Now if you would be so kind as to answer the question… who are you?"

"I'm…" What could he say? 'I'm your husband'? He would only scare the bonkers out of her.

"Wait a minute… is the house moving? We're moving… Where am I?"

"You're on a ship, Luv…"

"A ship?" she asked, breathlessly.

"Yes."

"Who's ship?"

"My, well, me father's ship."

"And who would your father be? And what were you doing in my room in the first place? Don't you have any propriety?"

"Calm down, Lizzie."

"Miss Swann to you, you… you…" she trailed off looking at his figure curiously.

She seemed fascinated with his attire and then it hit her. The trinkets in the hair. The red bandana. The tri-corn hat. The vest. The dreadlocks. It was him. It was the man of her dreams. It was… unless this was a dream.

He looked at her puzzled when she pinched herself repeatedly. After a few yips of pain, she broke out into the biggest, most innocently beautiful smile he had ever seen.

"You alright there, Luv?"

"Yes, I'm fine…. And I'm awake! I'm not dreaming!"

"No…"

"Are you who I think you are?" she asked, her eyes gleaming with eagerness.

"And who exactly do ye think I am, Dearie?"

"You're Captain Jack Sparrow, aren't you…"

"Aye, Luv. That'd be me."

"I don't believe this! I've always wanted to meet a pirate. Will won't even believe… wait… where's Will?"

She noticed that this particular question seemed to cause Jack to pale considerably. His eyes narrowed and he had an unreadable look on his face that, while it should have scared her, it didn't in the slightest.

Why. Did. She. Have. To. Bloody. Ask. About. Bloody. Will…?!

He tried to hide his disappointment and heartache with a smirk that made Elizabeth weak in the knees and she silently thanked Heaven that she wasn't standing up because if she was, she would have most certainly fallen over.

"Will… He's away."

"Away?" she asked, pushing him for more answers. Always curious.

"Yes. Far away."

"Why is he far away?"

"Lizzie, do ye remember anything at all about how you feel?"

"How I feel?"

"For Will."

"Oh. Well, he's a good friend. A bit too sensitive but he's a nice boy. He's one of my best friends but Father doesn't approve of him very much because he's… Speaking of Father, do you know where he is?"

Jack rubbed his face with his hands and decided to pinch himself to make sure this wasn't a dream. Unfortunately, he felt it. How was he going to tell her that her father was dead? That he had been killed, murdered? He saw how much it broke her heart then… imagine what it would do to her now. But it was important to be honest, was it not? Didn't he have to tell her?

She looked at him expectantly and her smile faded when he sighed tiredly and gave her a sympathetic look.

"Where is my father, Captain?"

"He… He's in a better place now, Elizabeth."

His heart broke when he saw the tears well up in her eyes. She choked on a sob and began trembling mercilessly. Instinctively, he sat on the bed and pulled young Elizabeth to him, holding her tight in an embrace, wiping the tears away.

"How did this happen?"

"Well,…"

"Did _you_ kill him?" she asked, suddenly feeling very cold when he tensed up.

How could she ask such a thing? But then again, how could she not, under these particular circumstances. Not even he could make sense of what was going on. But Elizabeth was crying and getting her to stop, to feel better was his main priority.

"No, Darling. I would never…"

"What happened to him?"

"Someone from the East India Trading Company killed him."

"Why?"

"Because…"

"I didn't even get to say goodbye to him! It's not fair!"

"Hush, Lizzie. It's going to be alright. You're alright."

He kissed her forehead and pulled the covers around her, getting up off the bed himself to tuck her in. The tears had subsided, thankfully, though they were replaced a grim look of depression.

"Get some sleep, Elizabeth. Lord knows ye need it."

She nodded ever so slightly and closed her eyes, fresh tears attempting to break the barrier of her eyelids.

And as Jack left his cabin, he decidedly agreed with Elizabeth… It definitely _wasn't_ fair.

He shook his head profusely. No… not fair at all.


	12. Oh, Bugger

**A/N: Sorry for the dreadfully long wait time. I've got finals coming up so I've been studying my butt off. Here goes my attempt at a good chapter but, since it was rather rushed, disregard its flaws. And thank you to my reviewers!**

**Disclaimer: POTC belongs to Disney. **

Jack carefully tried to analyze the situation. Lizzie was younger and had no recollection of what had happened in the past few years. _Bugger_. How could this happen to him? Why did this happen? And then the face of a heartless whelp came to his mind: _Will_.

He laughed when he recalled Elizabeth's words about him… oversensitive. Yes, that was true. And perhaps that sensitivity had driven him to do something… something utterly stupid. Yep, just like a whelp.

Never would he have thought that when Elizabeth woke up from her nap she wouldn't be herself anymore. He had just gotten her back from the Locker. Was it too much to ask to finally have things work out right?

Obviously. He had a feeling that the whelp would soon be showing up, since it was probably his doing. No… it had to be his doing. It had been almost an hour since these rather disturbing complications arose and Jack was already panicking. To help ease his mind, he relieved Cotton from the helm and took it himself. There was nothing like a good shot at the helm to help clear one's head.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth had woken up from a very unpleasant slumber. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying and she felt empty inside. Then she remembered! She had just met Captain Jack Sparrow, the man of her dreams! And she was so very excited about that particular ordeal. But still, the news of her father's death shocked and upset her. She would press Jack for details later. Or perhaps she could find out for herself…

She walked to his table and saw a journal. Curiously, she picked it up and settled back into bed, skimming through the pages. Then, she came upon a rather strange thing. There were some pages dated into the future? She decided to read one that had apparently been written in a hurry.

_Bugger. Jail is not where I wanted to end up tonight. This today, a noose tomorrow. But not if I can help it. I must thank the lass though, Elizabeth Swann, or Miss Swann as she prefers it, seeing as she saved me today. After I saved her, of course. Falling off a cliff into the ocean and surviving is hardly an easy task. Lucky for her, I was there to save her. And that medallion. I know that medallion. And I know that Barbossa will be here soon. I just hope they don't go after her. Although I doubt a pretty little thing like that could be a pirate… Well, never say never._

She paled significantly. How could it be that Jack Sparrow knew her and she didn't remember it? But… how could she if this was dated a few years later. Because there was no way she was in the future… was there? If so… what was her relationship with Jack? 

Were they friends? Enemies? Lovers…? She was utterly confused by this recent discovery and decided to persist on to find out more.

_Lizzie's back. Everything is normal again. Except for that stupid whelp what's been coming around here lately. Will needs to get over her. He lost her. We're married, fair and square. She's Elizabeth Sparrow, now. Not Turner. She was never Elizabeth Turner. Well, maybe for a little bit. But it's all in the past now. She makes a great pirate king. My little pirate princess. And now, we're married. Finally. Me, Jack Sparrow, married to the most beautiful woman in all of the seven seas. And now Calypso's trying to get revenge all because we saved Lizzie from death. The Locker's a cruel place, I know that myself. And to think what she went through in there… but it's all over now. I love her so much and I can only hope she knows what she's getting herself into because there's no turning back. She's a Sparrow now. And Sparrows don't fly alone._

She sat on the bed, legs crossed and unblinking, trying to comprehend what this interesting discovery meant. She didn't know. Apparently, she was married to Jack Sparrow? The infamous pirate captain? But she was only 17 years old! Sure, she was overdue to be married but… according to the journal, this marriage took place 3 years from now! Or from then…?

She observed her surroundings. Nothing was familiar to her but there was a sense of comfort she got from it. From his belongings. _His_? Jack. From _Jack_.

Fighting the urge to cry, she slipped out of bed only to find that she was in men's clothes. In pirate clothes! It was all like a dream come true but… but it wasn't. Because her father was dead. And Will was away. Far away, he had said. But why? Did he leave her? Would he leave without saying goodbye?

And what did he mean when he wrote that she was no longer a Turner? Had she and Will once been married? Where was he now? Why was this happening? How could this be happening to--

At that exact moment, Jack walked in, cautiously, only to disrupt her crucial reasoning. She looked at him, smiling faintly, wondering if he knew that she knew that she didn't know what he did about their relationship. _How hard it must be for him_, she thought, _to have to watch his wife go through all of this_. He watched her intently, noticing how she nibbled on her lip nervously and how she avoided eye contact. His stare changed as something brown on the bed caught his eye. His journal. She looked confused when he began to laugh softly, a hint of amusement playing across his features.

"That's the second time you go through me things, Love."

"Is it?" she gulped. "Because I don't remember anything. And now I read that… that we've known each other for what, 3 years now? How could it all just go away, Captain Sparrow?"

"Call me, Jack, Lizzie."

"Jack." She said, smiling softly, letting him pull her close to him as he sat on the bed next to her.

"I don't know why this is happening, either, Darling. I take it you read everything, aye?"

"Yes. I… I mean… are you and I… are we… are we…"

"Aye. We're married. You became Elizabeth Sparrow just a few days ago. But then, you were 20. Almost 21. Now…"

"Now I'm 17. It just doesn't make any sense."

"I've got a feeling I know who's behind this, though."

"Who? Oh… it's him, isn't it."

"Him?"

"Will."

"Aye."

"He's changed, I see."

"He's upset because ye left him."

"Why would he do this?"

"To get ye back, of course. Although… I have a feeling that he wasn't counting on this little problem."

"Did we love each other?"

"Did? No. We do… I do. You do, too. Or you have. Or… you will?"

"I do. I mean I did, I used to. When I was 12. I used to read your books and I was always fascinated by the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. And now I find out that I'm a Sparrow, too?"

"And a Hell of one, I'll tell ye that. You're a beautiful pirate, Love."

"And what's all this King Lizzie business?"

"You're king of the Brethren Court."

Her jaw dropped as she looked at him incredulously. But then, her shock turned into pure joy as she threw herself into his arms and started laughing giddily.

"You're serious. I'm a King."

"There's so much to tell ye, Lizzie… So much to say."

"Like what? Come on, Jack, tell me."

_Tell ye what? How ye were in love with Will? How ye were kidnapped by pirates? How ye killed me? How ye saved me? How ye died? How I saved ye? How I've lost ye? No, Lizzie, Love. I won't say any of that. Because it's only a matter of time before ol' William shows up. And then we'll sort this out like pirates._

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Darling. Just thinking about how to deal with the whelp."

"Oh, you mean Will?" she said, giggling.

"Aye."

"So I don't marry James."

"Norrington? Nay, Love. Not at all."

Just as she was about to respond, a loud banging came from the door and in walked the whelp himself. Not expecting what he found, his eyes narrowed in confusion and he pointed at the girl unsure.

"Elizabeth?"


	13. Of Disbelief and Broken Hearts

Will stared at the young girl on the bed. Next to Jack Sparrow. He raised an eyebrow as he noticed how young she looked. She looked like… like the day Jack Sparrow came into their lives. Like the day he had called her Elizabeth for the first time. Like she did before she fell in love with… _him_.

Elizabeth looked at the man curiously. His hair was long and his eyes were brown and he was clearly angry. That anger didn't seem to be directed at her but half at himself and half at the man next to her. She knew it was Will. But it wasn't her Will. Her loyal friend and ally. No… this was someone else and she didn't like him one bit.

"Elizabeth?" he asked again, his voice just above a whisper.

"It's me." She replied in an icy, cold tone.

"Why are you… How is it that… what's happened to you?"

Jack got up from the bed and got in front of Elizabeth so as to shield her.

"I think you'd be the one to answer that question."

"I was talking to Elizabeth."

"Well Elizabeth doesn't want to talk to you."

"Why don't we ask her?" he said, pulling out his sword so as to persuade Jack to move aside, which he did hastily.

Elizabeth had gotten off the bed and backed up into the corner of the room, fear gleaming in her eyes as a small cry escaped her lips. Will put his sword away and carefully made his way over to a frightened Elizabeth.

"Elizabeth… do you know who I am?"

"I know who you're not. You're not Will. You're not the kind, caring boy I played with when I was younger."

"Things changed, Elizabeth. You changed… and so I was forced to change with you."

"I see. And I understand. But I fear it's too late for explanations. You've made your choice."

"I don't know why you're like this… Calypso didn't mention that…" he trailed off, regretting his outspokenness.

Jack's eyes widened. Sure, he had expected it to be Will but to actually hear the words coming out of his mouth was absolutely infuriating. He would have bashed the whelp right then and there had Elizabeth not been in the room. Elizabeth made her way so she was facing Will, her chin held up high.

"Treacherous whelp." Said Jack, glaring dagger at Will.

"So it was you! You did this to me! You robbed me of life, my memories, my marriage!"

"What about you, Elizabeth? Hm? You robbed me of my wife, my love, my hope! Don't you get it, Elizabeth? Without you… the curse will never be broken."

"Curse?" she looked from Will to Jack and then back to Will. "What curse?"

"So he didn't tell you. I should have expected as much."

"Tell me, Will. What curse?"

"My curse. I'm bound to the Flying Dutchman forever, Elizabeth."

"Wait… I know about that ship! It's the one whose captain ferries dead souls… but… how did that get to be your job? Are you the captain?"

"Yes. I… I died in the war. Jack made me stab Davy Jones' heart. And so I get to live, although it's hardly living. It's Hell, Elizabeth. You don't know what it's like to watch people who die every day, each of them begging to know what happened. Begging to come back, to have another chance."

"So when I died… you had to ferry me?"

"I would never have. I was going to save you, somehow, I would have. You were my wife."

"We were married?"

"Yes. Just like we used to pretend."

"But Jack said we were married." She said, pointing back and forth between her and a very annoyed pirate captain.

"Then he lied. You're my wife, Elizabeth."

"I am?" she frowned for a moment, not believing Jack would lie to her. "But I saw the marriage papers! They bear my signature, Will… No one else could have done it."

"Can't you see it, Elizabeth? He's kidnapped you. Think of how you woke up in a strange place you've never been before with a man you've never met. And you're on a ship, no less."

"I know about our adventures. We've known each other for 3 years, now. I think it's safe to trust him." She replied, nodding profusely.

"Elizabeth… you're my wife. Who are you going to believe? Jack, a pirate? Or me… your friend, your husband?"

Elizabeth's demeanor changed completely. She was no longer defiant but rather confused and uncomfortable. She had been trying to defend Jack all this time but… why? Because he helped her recover her future? Or because he hadn't attacked her right away. Would he ever do such a thing? According to his journal, he loved her more than life itself and he'd risked it countless times just for her. That made her feel happy inside but what about Will? Will wouldn't lie, either. And she should trust him more than a pirate… but can't pirates be good men as well? She felt like she knew Jack because she had read so much about him and now, upon meeting him, she realized that many of those personal accusations were false. He wasn't a ruthless man who didn't take pity even on his first mate, as she had once read. He appeared to be kind and gentle… loving, even. But that was what he appeared to be… could he live up to her first impression?

Then again, she knew Will all her life. She saved him. But now, he looked so changed, so gloomy. Like something far beyond her comprehension vexed him to the last degree. She felt awful for him and made her decision quickly, unsure of why she had ever doubted said decision was the right one.

"I believe you, Will." She said meekly, looking over at Jack sadly.

Jack's head popped up and he stared at her in disbelief. His wife? Believing the whelp over him? Why… why couldn't he just die?! Thought Jack but about the whelp, not himself.

"You do?" asked Will, unsure if she was just playing a joke on him or if she really was serious.

"Yes. But first you must answer me one thing… What did you do to me and why did you do it?"

His breath caught in his throat. What could he tell her that would be even remotely plausible? The truth wouldn't suffice. That was a sad thing in and of itself. Now he had to lie to Elizabeth even more.

Jack looked very pensive and all of a sudden, it came to him. And it also angered him. How could Will do that? And more importantly, how was he going to fix it?

It was strange because Calypso wouldn't do someone a favor unless it helped her. How did Elizabeth not loving Jack anymore help her?

Will still hadn't begun explaining and it was taking him quite a while to come up with a good cover story.

"I'll tell ye what he did, Luv. He went to Calypso, the great goddess of the seas, and begged for her help. She granted it because she wanted you to suffer… she wants all of the Brethren Court to suffer, especially the King. So… ye were sent back in mind and body to when ye were 17, before ye ever fell in love with me and now, Will's free to take you as he wishes."

"Is this true, Will? Did I love Jack? And you were jealous and decided to take that all away from me?" she inquired in a frightfully calm tone of voice.

Tears were starting to gather up in her eyes but she held strong. She wasn't about to break down, now. Not when so much was on the line.

"I… I think you were confused, Elizabeth. You thought Jack loved you."

"I still think he does."

"But not as much as me. After all, who have you known the most, Elizabeth? Who do you trust the most?"

"I don't know." She replied, her voice cracking.

"Elizabeth…"

"I want to trust you. I do trust you. But… but Jack didn't tell me anything, it was all in his journal."

"Don't you see? It was all planned out. Everything! Right from the very start."

"I hardly believe that. But you are right. I have known you longer and so therefore I should trust you most… Say, Will? Do you know of my father's fate as well?"

"He's dead. I'm so sorry."

"An East India agent…"

"A pirate."

"What?" she asked, breathlessly.

Jack just watched the scene with utmost distaste. This was wrong, so very wrong. The manipulation of a young girl. A young girl who happened to be his wonderful, loving wife. He knew what was coming… but he wasn't prepared for what happened.

"Jack… he killed him. He killed your father."

"You're lying." She countered as tears now flowed freely down her face.

"I wish I was. But it's true, Elizabeth."

She turned to Jack who was no rubbing his face with his hands, sighing tiredly, growing tired of Will's incessant attempts.

"Jack? Did you?"

"Do you believe I did?"

"That's why I'm asking."

"I would never do anything to hurt you, Lizzie. Never."

"You killed him…" was all she could manage.

Before he even noticed it was heading in his direction, her hand made contact with his cheek and she cried out at the pain. Then, she walked over to Will, her husband, and locked arms with him.

"Let's go, Will. Take me away from here." She said, looking into Jack's hurt eyes. "Far away from here."

And together, the two walked out of Captain Sparrow's cabin.


	14. Journey of a Lifetime

**A/N: Hey guys! I am terribly, terribly sorry about the intense wait time you have had for this story. You could say I've arrived at an impassable writer's block but fear not! I'm not going to put it on hiatus or anything but I will try and do my best to finish it in the next couple of chapters. I think, at the beginning, it seemed like a good idea but I have to admit that I'm just not happy with it and when a writer can't connect to his/her story, it results in poor writing and I would never want to do that to you. **

**Disclaimer: PotC belongs to Disney.**

**Advisory: This chapter is going to sum up what has taken place over the past month, both on Lizzie and Will's side as well as Jack's side. The next chapter will start from there and then the chapter after that will/should be the final chapter. Sorry if this doesn't make any sense, lol.**

* * *

Will knew that he and Elizabeth would not be able to spend much time together after he took her from Jack's father's ship. It was inevitable that they would have to go their separate ways. Still, he did not mind it that much because he knew that Jack Sparrow would suffer far more than he. At least Will would always have Elizabeth's love devotion whereas whatever scrap of affection she once felt for Jack (_apparently enough to marry him_) was now forgotten, a small, insignificant shard of the past. Calypso was right. Revenge did feel good but what felt even better was Elizabeth, looking at him, talking to him. Not shouting or glaring daggers at him. It took him back to the time in which they lived in Port Royal. The time before pirates and promises and chests and betrayals…

A time when things were simpler and any reference to piracy existed only in their imaginations as they would swordfight and he would teach her how.

* * *

Elizabeth's mind was sure that she had made the right decision, going with Will instead of staying with Jack. Yet, her heart was not so certain. Occasionally, her mind would drift to Jack Sparrow and that ever so sad look in his eyes when she walked out of his cabin. She thought that perhaps maybe she was too quick to trust Will but he was her husband, apparently. But then again, he was also the one who wished this terrible occurrence upon her and it would be convenient if he had done it only to get her back. She supposed she would never really know who had been telling the truth and who had tried to deceive her. Did it even matter anymore? She had made her choice, had she not? There was nothing she could do to find out that truth. At least, not at the moment.

* * *

Jack couldn't believe himself that he had let her go. It was not intended but what could he have done at the moment? She wouldn't have believed him anyway, not with the whelp leading her to accuse him of horrendous crimes that he did not commit. More than anything he wanted to rush to her, take her in his arms, and promise that everything would be alright. That it was just a very, very bad dream. But, unfortunately, it was a dream (_or nightmare, rather_) from which he never woke up. His days and nights were meaningless and when his crew asked for a heading, he just shrugged and retreated to his cabin. His first mate decided to sail to Tortuga, thinking that it would cheer his captain up but it only made things worse. All he wanted was Lizzie back and yet he felt as though she was too far beyond his grasp.

* * *

_2 days after Will abducted Elizabeth…_

The ship was rapidly approaching land and Elizabeth ran up to the helm to ask Will what was going on.

"Will, where are we going?" she asked curiously.

"I'm not going anywhere… You are." he replied.

"What?" she shouted.

"You know I can't keep you here nor can I step on land, Elizabeth. You must wait for me there."

"There? Where is there?" she started, panic coursing through her veins.

"It's a quaint little island. My mother was from there, before she moved to England. That's how she met my father."

"I don't know anyone there."

"No, but I'm sure you could find some of my mother's old friends. Just go to the nearest tavern and tell them you're Elizabeth Turner. They'll recognize the name and they'll help you, then. Everyone always liked my mother."

"Alright." She sniffled. "When will I see you again?"

"I'm afraid not for about nine more years, Elizabeth."

"So I'll be… 26. That's not too bad."

"No, it's not." He smiled at Elizabeth, his wife. "We'll arrive in about an hour. I'll come get you."

"Alright. Thank you, Will. For everything." She smiled sweetly and retreated to the cabin she had been assigned.

Elizabeth spent her next hour packing her belongings (which were taken from Jack's ship) and tidied up the cabin as best she could. She noticed that the ship was quite dreary and it made her question her husband's ways but it wasn't his fault. After all, how beautiful and joyful could a ship that harbors death possibly be?

Soon enough, Will came down to tell her that they had arrived. After a tearful (on Will's side, at least) goodbye, she took her bags and left the Flying Dutchman, fear engulfing her the moment she stepped on land. It didn't feel right to her, somehow, to be on land while she did not particularly remember what it felt like to not be on land except for the crossing from England and the journey to this island.

She did as Will had advised and walked into the first tavern she saw, not even bothering to look at the name. She approached the bartender who she could have sworn leered at her and set her bags down.

"Well, hello, dolly belle. Haven't seen you around here before." He smiled slightly. "What'll it be?"

She furrowed her brows in confusion until she realized what he meant. "Oh, no. I'm not here to drink." His smile widened. "And I'm not here for that either."

"You got a name?"

"I'm Elizabeth Turner. I think." She added as an afterthought.

"Turner, you say? I didn't know Marie had a daughter."

"She doesn't. I married her son, William Turner."

"Ah, William! Tell me, how is the lad? We all miss him, you know."

"He's dead." she said, sadly.

"Oh my. I'm very sorry to hear that, Elizabeth. Good heavens, though. You can't be older than seventeen and you're already married?" he asked, shocked.

"I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I'm considered late to be married in England." she spoke with conviction.

"Forgive me, Missus. We're not as strict as English society here."

"Where is 'here', anyway?"

"Ah, yes. Well, my dear, you're on St. George Island."

"Oh. It's beautiful here."

"We take pride in our home. Say, do you have a place to stay?" he inquired, spotting her bags for the first time.

Oh yes. She would need a place to stay. How could she not have thought of that before? How could Will? Oh, well. Too late to change things now.

"Not as of the moment."

"No you do." He said smiling brightly. "My wife and I were great friends of Marie. My darling Christine loved the woman to death. Was positively petrified when she left for England with Bill."

"Thank you so much, Mr…"

"Hopkins. George Hopkins." He said, extending a hand, which she graciously took.

"Thank you very much, Mr. Hopkins. Your generosity will not soon be forgotten."

"Oh, it's no problem for a Turner. Why don't you have a seat and I'll go get my wife?"

Elizabeth took a seat at a table near the corner and waited for Mrs. Hopkins to show up. Apparently, the Hopkins lived in a relatively large house that was connected to the tavern and in less than half an hour, Elizabeth was already in her new room, bags unpacked and dinner on the stove. Everyone had been so gracious to her and Mrs. Hopkins especially enjoyed her company, since all of her daughters had already moved out and started their own lives. It was a nice change to have to care for someone again.

Over the course of the next month, Mrs. Hopkins taught Elizabeth valuable skills such as cooking, cleaning, and sewing- all things that she had never learned how to do back in Port Royal. Occasionally, the family would speak of Will and when he was born and it made her think of Jack and how much she actually missed him, despite her not knowing him very well.

The Hopkins provided her with clothing and shelter. They had become her second parents. She had many dresses of all different kinds but she always seemed to prefer the pirate garb with which she sailed in and, since St. George was a very pirate-friendly port, the Hopkins did not mind her decision. They even gave her a job in the tavern so she could make her own money to buy things for herself and, out of all the barmaids, she had the highest salary.

One day, she decided to ask Mrs. Hopkins what she knew about Jack Sparrow and what she was told shocked her to the bone.

"Well, not much has been heard about Jack Sparrow since he lost the Black Pearl. News travels fast around here but we did find out that he got himself married to a nice English girl, much like yourself. Her name has been changed from Giselle to even Marguerite so we don't know for sure who she was, except that she had the last name 'Swann', but apparently, he loved her very much." she told Elizabeth, smiling at her interest in pirates.

"What makes you say that?" she gulped.

"Well, Jack wouldn't be the type to get married and since he married her, she must be very special. Not any woman can capture a pirate's heart, Beth (her nickname for Elizabeth). Sure, they get lonely at sea but that's what wenches are for. A pirate marriage only happens on a blue moon. Not everyone can spend their lives with one person. It takes love, trust, and respect to accomplish that." She had explained.

So she really had been married to Jack. _Trust_. And she didn't trust him. She _hadn't_ trusted him. Well, actually, Will was the one who made her believe that Jack was lying. But still…he loved her. He loved her enough to give up his freedom for her. It made her feel so special inside and yet, so lost because she had no idea where he was and where to go from here. She remembered he had told her she was the pirate king and so she asked Mrs. Hopkins where the pirate king lived. Mrs. Hopkins told her 'Shipwreck Cove' and Elizabeth knew that she would have to go there. It was the only way to set things right. But she would have to wait for the opportune moment. _Opportune moment?_ Now where had she heard that before? _Strange…_

The next night, Elizabeth left a letter for the Hopkins who had been so dear to her before going to the docks to find passage to Shipwreck Cove. With the money she had earned and saved from working in the tavern, she bartered her way off of St. George's Island and began the journey of her life.

In the morning, Mrs. Hopkins went to wake Elizabeth only to find a small piece of paper on her bed where she should have been. It read:

_Dear Mr. and Mrs. Hopkins,_

_I'd like to thank you both for your overwhelming help in the past weeks. I want you to know that I am ever grateful for your kindness and generosity. As I'm sure you've guessed, something has come up and I have been forced to leave. Everything is alright. In fact, everything is more than alright as I think I've finally realized what I'm meant to do. Do not worry about me but if you wish to write back, you might find me at Shipwreck Cove. I have some things to take care of._

_Thank you for everything._

_Sincerely,_

_Elizabeth Swann_

Mrs. Hopkins smiled and said a silent prayer for the charming girl she had the pleasure to get to know, running off to tell her husband the news.

* * *

Over the past month, Jack had been wallowing over the loss of his beloved Pearl. It hadn't mattered before because then he had Elizabeth yet now, both of his girls were missing. Still, Elizabeth was his priority. He wondered where she was right now and what she was doing. She had to be on land, that much he was sure. Unfortunately, there were seven continents, all made of land, and therefore, he really had no idea where she was.

It was only then that he remembered his compass. Quickly pulling it out, he flipped it open and watched as the needle pointed east. He told the crew to set sail immediately. A few days later, he checked the compass again, just to make sure and, strangely enough, the heading had changed. It now pointed north. Where was she going?

_Where are ye going, Lizzie Sparrow?_

With that, he ordered the crew to change their course and follow the compass because at the end of that needle, he would find his wife. Hopefully…

* * *

**A/N: I have to admit, after writing that, I've actually gotten somewhat back into the story. It may or may not have more chapters than I previously stated. It all depends on your reviews!**


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